CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(l\/lonographs) 


ICMH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


Cane Jian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checked  below. 


D 


D 

n 


D 


Coloured  covers  / 
Couverture  de  couleur 


□    Covers  damaged  / 


louverture  endommagee 


□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
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Cover  title  missing  / 1     titre  de  couverture  manque 

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Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

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int^rieure. 

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possible,  ces  pages  n'ont  pas  4t^  film^es. 

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et6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire qui  sont  peut-etre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modification  dans  la  metho- 
de  normale  de  filmage  sont  indiques  ci-dessous. 

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I I    Pages  damaged  /  Pages  endommagees 


D 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
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0   Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
Pages  d^color^es,  tachetees  ou  piquees 

Pages  detached  /  Pages  detachees 

yi  Showthrough  /  Transparence 

I      I   Quality  of  print  varies  / 


D 
D 


D 


Quality  inegale  de  {'impression 

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Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 

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film^es  deux  fois  afin  d'obtenir  la  meilleure  image 
possible. 


n 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checlted  below  / 

Ce  document  est  tWmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 


lOx 

14x 

18x 

22x 

26x 

30x 

, 

J 

12x 


16x 


20x 


24x 


28x 


32x 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Harold  Campbell  Vaughan  Memorial  Library 
Acadia  University 

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sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
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first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ♦-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  filmi  fut  reproduit  grdce  d  la 
gin^rositA  de: 

Harold  Campbell  Vaughan  Memorial  Library 
Acadia  University 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  M  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetd  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim^e  sont  film^s  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commen9ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  Stre 
filmds  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  §tre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film*  i  partir 
de  I'angle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  i  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


1 

2 

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1 

2 

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5 

6 

AICROCOPY    RESOLUTION   TEST  CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No   2) 


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■  3.6 


I  2.5 
2.2 

2.0 


1.8 


1.25 


1.4 


1.6 


:=  APPLIED    INA^GF      Inc 

=;  1653    East    Ma:n    Streel 

r.S  Rochester,    New    York  14609         USA 

i^S  (716)    482  -  0300  -  Phone 

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PILGRIM  SERMONS 


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COPYRIGHT,    19 

03, 

BY     FLEMING 

H. 

RKVELL    COMPANY      | 

January 

\  ..... 


'A     ^ 


■.a, 


CONTENTS. 

CHAITER. 

I.  A  MiGHTV  Fortress ^^^^^ 

II.  Living  Sermons  From  Dead  Lips  ."  "     J 

iU.  Reminders  of  St.  Paul 

IV.  The  Treasures  of  Egypt, ^ 

V.  First  Glimpses  of  Immanuel's  Land    6i 
VL  Mountain   Top  Views  in    Imman- 
uel's Land ^ 

VII.  Glimpses  at  Joppa ,,[][ Z 

VIII.  Jerusalem  as  it  is  Today  . . . . ...'"'    86 

IX.  Bethlehem 

X.  The  River  Jordan j^ 

XI.   Nazareth,  the  City  of  the  Silent 

Years ^^^ 

Xn.  Voices  from  the  Flowers i,, 

XIIL  The  Lake  of  Jesus  .  '  j^- 

XIV.  The    Well  Between   Two*  Moun- 

tains    

XV.  The  Mount  of  Temptation  ...."."'""  160 

XVI.  An  Illustrated  Bible  .  180 

-?;}^JJ-  J""^  J^^OPLES  OF  Palestine  Tod.ay.'.'  104 

XVIiI.  Life  in  the  Holy  Land 2^ 

XIX.  The  Sanctuary  of  the  Mind  . .  224 

XX.  The  Soul's  Vision  of  God ." .'  237 


^'64^2. 


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w^'- 


PREFACE 
Anna,  my  brother  Arthur's  wife— she  will  not 
let  us  say  his  widow— who,  with  a  very  little  -^sist- 
ance  from  myself  has  prepared  the  manuscripis  of 
these  sermons  for  the  publishers,  desires  me  to  write 
the  preface. 

But  what  can  I  say  of  Arthur,  but  that,  from  the 
days  of  babyhood  to  his  early  and,  to  human  eye 
untimely  death.  I  loved  him  both  as  boy  and  man' 
and  that  as  a  boy.  he  was  the  surest,  and  as  a  man' 
the  most  noble-minded  of  all  th.  t  I  have  met 

But,  because  a  brother's  praise  may  seem  to  be  not 
free  from  favoring  prejudice,  I  am  going  to  let 
others  speak  here  of  his  character  and  life  only 
addmg  that  none  of  his  success  at  any  time  sur- 
pnsed  me,  for  from  boyhood  I  had  felt  that  if  God 
spared  his  life  until  he  was  forty  vears  of  age  he 
would  be  near  the  top  of  the  profession  to  which  he 
might  give  himself. 

He  chose  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ-a 
calling  in  which  selfish  ambition  should  have  no 
place.  The  years  of  his  labor  were  few.  but  in  that 
time  few  men  indeed  accomplished  more  for  the 
Master. 

And  now,  Arthur,  as  we  have  prepared  this  me- 
morial book  for  the  press,  we  have  both  felt-your 
wife  and  I— that  you,  in  some  way,  were  aware  of 

7 


FJEK 


8 


PREFACE 


our  task  and,  !n  the  main  result,  approved  it     This 

n-ay  be  but  fancy,  based  on  the  fa«  that  we  Icncw 

t  was  one  of  your  minor  ambitions  to  one  day  pub 

to  beVue.™''  "■"  "'  ""'  "'""^  "  ''  -^  f«'  " 

,„Tt  "T  '''°'™  ""'"  "^"8^™  Sermons"  from 
all  the  others  to  speak  for  you,  because  they  refet 
some  of  your  loftiest,  purest,  holiest  moods  wh^ 

you  seemed  to  commune  with  the  spirits  of  just  men 
niade  perfect.  At  the  earthly  places  whe  e  Te"us 
hngered  and  at  his  Calvary  it  appeared  as  if  you 
were  allowed  to  hold  beforehand  a  portion  o  Zt 
commun,on  with  Him  which,  in  full  measure  U 
now  your  fullest  joy. 

traveler.  "v°"  *'""^^  *^'  "°^>^  ^and  are  mere 
travelers.    You  were  a  pilgrim  indeed. 

(The  following  obituary  appeared  in  The  Standard 
December  15,  1900.) 
Few  of  the  younger  men  in  the  Baptist  ministry 
o   the  Middle  West  have  attained  a  higher  m  "sure 
of  respect  and  affection  than  Arthur  CKTmXn 
who  died  of  typhoid  fever  at  Janesville,  Wis    De 
cember  4.     Not  until  the  last  week  of  his  brief  ill- 
ness was  ,t  Known  to  be  fatal,  and  to  hundreds  of 
friends  who  had  not  heard  that  he  was  sick    the 

sTk.''  ""'•  ""'"P^^"'  '^^*'  ^^-^   "'^h  -vere 

c:  ^J-^^Z  ^'  5'""^*°"  ^^'  ^°^"  at  Margaree,  Nova 

fste°  r  H^'  f  f'''    "^  ''"^^  ''  ^  f^-'^y  °f  min- 
isters.   His  father  was  Rev.  Joseph  Kempton ;  his 


I 


PREFACE  ^ 

rL  f  '  '  ^"'""^'^y  a^  Madison,  and  other 
Baptist  pastors  of  the  same  name,  though  not  of  the 
immediate  family,  occupy  eastern  pulpits  Arthur 
Kempton  was  educated  at  Horton  /cad  my,  Acld^ 
^e  and  Rochester  Theological  Seminar^-^ 

Acadia  College  he  became  interested  in  the  science 
of  medicine,  and  half  determined  to  follow  thlZ 

un  on  and  was  recommended  by  Dr   Stronp-  inrl 
posit  on  n  Tanan     tu^  u  >  '-'^-  orrong  tor  a 

oared  fn  1  ?    :  ^"^""^  "^as  not  just  then  pre- 

ceived  r  rtr'  '  u'^  '"^"  ^"^  ^^'•-  Kempton  re- 
ShVal'^^er'^^'-^^'^^^^-^^^^-Wis., 

wh^ch  heTn^X^X  n^T^^^^'*°"  --^^ 
pursued  it  for  mor^han  thrl"  "'  ^'".^'"'^^  ^"^ 
min.ofWisconsi:tr^^^^^^^^^^ 

r:Sion'  r  rs^^^^^^^^  ^'^^  ^^--^  --  ^^^ 

in  every  way    Tt  In  rf^'^'r'^'^^  "^^  "^ade 

Mis.  Ann!  Wvman   .  ^       u''  ^'  ^"^  "tarried  to 

,    a  wjman,  a  daughter  of  Mr   M  P  \xt 
man,  who  with  one  chJIH   ^a       1  ^-  ^y- 

In  1807  Mr  K    "V       '     daughter,  survives  him 
■in  1097,  Mr.  Kempton  was  ca]\p,\  *«  *t. 


iyMmmum<:^m^m 


ro 


PREFACE 


Claire  were  manifested  in  constantly  ^  rowing  power. 
It  was  known  to  some  leaders  in  the  denomination 
who  were  consulted  by  the  church  that  he  very  like- 
ly would  have  been  called  to  the  pastorate  of  Rug- 
gles  St.  Church,  Boston. 

His  was  a  spiritual  ministry  above  all  'se,  con- 
cerned with  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the  culture  of 
the  young.  To  this  paper  and  its  editors  he  was  a 
constant  helper  and  friend,  co-operating  cheerfully  in 
all  attempts  to  emphasize  the  spiritual  function  of 
the  journal,  contributing  prayer-meeting  topics  and 
devotional  articles  which  have  been  widely  helpful. 

The  funeral  was  held  on  Dec.  5  in  Janesville,  Dr. 
M.  G.  Hodge,  of  Oak  Park,  111.,  Mr.  Kempton's  pre- 
decessor in  the  pastorate,  conducting  the  services. 
Mr.  Kempton's  brother,  Rev.  Judson  Kempton,  was 
with  him  during  the  last  week  of  his  illness,  sooth- 
ing him  in  the  fever  delirium  and  listening  to  his 
last  words.  It  was  the  wish  of  the  dying  man  that 
he  should  be  buried  with  a  Bible  for  his  pillow,  and 
the  desire  was  carried  out.  The  loss  to  the  church, 
and  to  the  denomination  at  large,  cannot  be  meas- 
ured, because  none  of  us  can  know  to  what  height  of 
usefulness  this  brilliant  young  minister  of  Christ 
might  have  risen  in  years  to  come.  But  he  has  now 
risen  to  the  perfect  ministry  of  the  skies,  and  his 
future  is  secure. 

FROM  A  FELLOW  PASTOR. 

It  was  with  profound  sorrow  of  a  personal  be- 
reavement that  I  heard  of  Arthur  C.  Kempton's 
passing.     There  were  qualities  in  him  which  marked 


PREFACE  II 

him  as  a  conspicuous  man.      He  commanded  my 
largest  respect  for  his  mental  endowments.  In  coun- 
sels he  was  strikingly  sane  in  his  conceptions  of  duty 
and  expediency.     His  face  was  one  of  signal  trans- 
parency, for  in  it  was  mirrored  the  essence  of   the 
man's  singular  purity.     In  moral  fibre  he  was  knit 
with  the  sinews  of  the  giant.     In  this  respect  he 
quite  captured  my  deepest  respects.    The  strains  he 
bore  were  of  the  sort  whose  tension  is  greatest  where 
they  are  anchored,  namely,  at  the  spiritual  vitals.  His 
bearing  under  adverse  opinions  could  have  bee-    in- 
spired and  maintained  only  by  close  study  c  :  his 
Master  and  continuous  communion  with  Him.     The 
seats  of  conscience  and  aspiration  lay  close  together 
m  him,  nor  did  he  permit  a  separation.     I  think  that 
this  alignment  of  mission  and  career  in  his  plans  for 
life  accounts  for  the  vast  energy,  of  whose  expendi- 
ture he  was  so  prodigal.     If  he  aspired  to  a  large 
mold  for  his  ministry  he  certainly  stood  ready  to  pay 
its  price  in  the  coin  of  astounding  labors.     I  have 
known  few  men  to  whom  the  ministry  meant  the  in- 
vestment of  so  much. 

His  like  may  not  come  into  our  acquaintance  often 
in  a  lifetime.  And  in  the  lifetime  we  are  apt  to  fail 
in  appreciation  of  his  sort.  Death  is  the  master 
artist ;  he  takes  his  brush  and  accentuates  the  out- 
line and  contours  of  men's  proportions  after  they  are 
gone. 

It  is  our  frailty  to  appreciate  our  blessings  more 
in  their  lack  than  in  their  possession.  To  me  the 
most  conspicuous  quality  in  the  man  was  his  tre- 
mendous will.    His  boundless  energ>^  his  splendid 


12 


PREFACE 


V  t 


moral  poise  and  self-restraint  in  the  face  of  difficul- 
ties, and  his  flint-faced  perseverance,  these  have  one 
secret,  his  will.  His  emotional,  his  affectional  and 
his  intellectual  life  all  concentrated  in  his  exceeding 
great  purposefulness.  Such  a  man  is  ripe  for  death 
because  he  is  so  ripe  for  life.  I  love  to  think  that 
the  enginery  of  that  splendid  mission  is  only  geared 
into  the  loftier  processes  of  the  life  beyond. 
Detroit,  Mich.  e.  H.  Pence. 

(Presbyterian  minister  at  Janesville.) 

A  TRIBUTE  FROM  SECRETARY  BAER. 

Wisconsin  suffers  keenly  from  Mr.  Kempton's 
death  and  so  does  the  cause  at  large.  His  first  year 
of  service  as  your  president  won  for  him  the  admira- 
tion of  the  officers  of  the  United  Society  (of  Chris- 
tian Endeavor) ,  and  when  he  was  re-elected  we  re- 
joiced with  you,  for  we  were  afraid  that,  busy  man 
as  he  was,  he  might  find  it  necessary  to  give  up  the 
leadership  of  the  Wisconsin  Endeavorers.  His 
memory  will  always  be  a  fragrant  one,  with  you 
and  with  us.  The  motive  of  his  life  was  deeply 
spiritual  and  prompted  him  to  render  to  Christ  a 
self-sacrificing  service.  His  influence  will  abide  for 
years  and  his  example  will  long  be  an  inspiration 
to  hundreds.    Yours  cordially, 

John  Willis  Baer. 
from  a  fellow  citizen. 
Mr.  Kempton  was  one  of  the  simplest  and  one  of 
the  ver)'  ablest  ministers  of  the  gospel  we  have  ever 
known.     We  never  met  a  more  educated,  a  more 


PREFACE 


13 


accomplished,  a  more  thoughtful,  a  more  devout  and 
a  more  remarkable  clergyman.  He  had  a  fine  voice, 
a  dramatic  style,  an  instinct  that  always  enabled 
him  to  reach  the  minds  and  hearts  of  his  listeners 
whoever  they  might  be,  a  rough  and  ready  way 
about  his  extemporaneous  eloquence  which  made 
his  sermons  go  directly  to  the  feelings  of  everybody 
and  over  the  head  of  nobody. 

His  voice  was  rich,  full,  and  deep,  capable  of  ex- 
pressing without  effort  every  tone  and  half  tone  of 
emotion  that  any  spoken  words  could  demand. 

It  was  almost  impossible  to  listen  to  him  and  not 
be  carried  away  by  the  force  of  his  intellect  and  by 
the  convincing  logic  of  his  arguments.  His  illus- 
trations in  the  pulpit  were  always  well  timed  and 
effective,  they  were  drawn  from  poetry,  from  the 
drama,  from  the  experiences  of  real  life.  He  seemed 
a  man  who  could  not  if  he  tried,  put  anything  in  a 
commonplace  way.  His  arguments  were  ingeni- 
ously persuasive  and  almost  always  convincing 

When  he  had  a  moral  battle  to  fight  he  fought  it 
to  his  very  best,  but  he  was  always  ready  when  that 
battle  was  over  to  hold  out  the  hand  of  friendship 
and  amity  to  those  with  whom  he  had  been  contend- 
ing. 

Mr.  Kempton  was  universally  loved  and  esteemed 
His  memory  will  remain  in  these  parts  and  with 
these  people  in  great  veneration.— Editorial,  Eau 
Uaire  Leader. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  Standard  and  to  the  Bat- 
hst  Union,  as  some  of  these  sermons  appeared  in 


■*«V^^'^.r.- 


I 
I     I 


14 


PREFACE 


their  columns  at  the  time  they  were  first  written. 
Also  we  thank  the  papers  and  men  who  furnish  the 
words  of  appreciation  here  reprinted. 

In  preparing  these  sermons  the  author,  of  course, 
consulted  current  books  on  travel  in  the  Holy  Land,' 
especially  those  by  George  Adam  Smith,  Dean  Stan- 
ley, H.  M.  Field  and  W.  M.  Thompson  and 
acknowledgement  of  indebtedness  is  here  made. 

JUDSON    KeMPTON. 

Mount  Carroll,  Illinois,  Nov.  27,  1902. 


J 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


CHAPTER  I 

A  MIGHT  i^  FORTRESS 

"The  Lord  is  my  rock  and  my  fortress." 

«l   by  the  beaufful  Azores  Islands,  along  whose 
shores  we  coasted  for  a  ttae.    Two  days  fftl  „e 

Ih.  thf  ""T-"'  ',";  '°"'  °'  SP^"-    Then  oL 
beside  Gibraltar  in  the  morning.    It  was  a  dark 

'^:si::T  T; """  ""'■ '  wi.™;  wi:d  :'■ 

occasional  gusts  of  rain,  but  I  stood  alone  near 

of  land,  and  above  all  to  see  the  Great  Rock  itsdf 
Finally,  away  to  the  right,  a  light  glimmered  though 

he  darkness,  and  then  appeared  the  black  oiZe 
of  the  African  coast.    We  headed  straight  toward 

his  light  till  another  light  was  seen  far  to  the  left 

hln  L  ''S^'^.^'PP^^^'i  on  either  shore  as  though  thev 
had  heard  the  Master's  command.  ^ 


16 


i6 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


"Let  the  lower  lights  be  burning, 
Send  a  gleam  across  the  wave." 

But  the  fortress  itself  did  not  yet  appear.     I 
grew  weary  with  waiting,  and  sleepy  with  the  long 
watch.    Still  I  persevered,  knowing  that  Gibraltar 
must  be  near.    At  last  a  crescent  of  twinkling  lights 
appeared,  tier  upon  tier,  like  the  diamonds  of  the 
kingly  crown.    I  grasped  my  glass,  and  above  these 
lights  could  see  the  great  black  outline  of  the  Rock. 
It  seemed  like  some  mighty  monster  keeping  guard 
with  a  thousand  sleepless  eyes  over  the  gateway 
to  the  Orient.     Our  ship  drew  near  and  cast  its 
anchor  with  other  ships  in  the  very  shadow  of  the 
rock,  our  panting  engines  stopped,  and  we  were 
at  rest  for  the  first  time  in  ten  long  days— at  rest 
in  the  shadow  of  the  Rock.    Yet  though  so  near  I 
could  not  see  it  clearly,  for  it  still  was  shrouded 
in  midnight  darkness,  and  so  unsatisfied  I  lay  my- 
self down  to  sleep.     But  in  the  morning  what  a 
sight  appeared!     The  darkness  was  gone,  and  I 
watched  the  sun  rise  from  behind  Gibraltar.     All 
the  eastern  skies  were  rosy  with  the  approaching 
day.     The  sun  arose  from  his  crimson  couch  and 
filled  the  earth  with  glory.    Gibraltar  stood  trans- 
figured, its  sublime  head  towering  1,400  feet  above 
our  heads,  its  precipitous  sides  of  solid  rock  pierced 
by  portholes,  which  in  comparison  with  its  vastness 
seemed  no  larger  than  pinholes,  its  cannon  peering 
at  us  from  a  hundred  different  points,  while  high- 
est of  all,  at  the  very  peak,  floated  the  flag  that  has 
upon  it  the  cross  and  the  lion,  which  some  have 


A  MIGHTY  FORTRESS  17 

fancifully  compared  to  the  cross  of  Christ  and  the 
hon  of  the  Tribe  of  Judah.  Thus  this  mighty  fort- 
ress which  we  approached  in  darkness  now  s^ood 
revealed  in  light. 

Even  so  it  is  in  our  first  approach  to  that  other 
mighty   fortress,  the  Lord  God  Almighty.     Canst 
not   thou   remember  how   thou   wast  tossed   upon 
the  waves  of  sin,  and  driven  by  the  winds  of  temp- 
tation, till  at  last  thou  wast  weary  with  the  vovage 
and  rejoiced  when  some  one  whispered  that  God, 
thy  fortress,  was  near  at  hand?   Dost  thou  not  re- 
member how  thou  didst  search  for  him  in  darkness 
how   some  text  from   his  word  shined  out   upon 
thy  midnight  like  a  light  before  the  ship;  how  thou 
wast  almost  discouraged  when  at  last  many  lights 
appeared  to  comfort  thee;  how  thou  did  cast 
anchor  in  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty?    Dost  i     u 
not  remember  how  thou  didst  place  the  glass  of 
faith  to  thine  eyes,  and  through  the  gloom  thou 
aidst  behold  thy  God,  but  dimlv,  indistinctlv,  like 
Gibraltar  in  the  midnight?    And  dost  thou  not  re- 
member how  the  light  grew  brighter  and  brighter 
unto  the  perfect  day?     Dost  thou  not  remember 
how  thou   didst  lift  up  thine  eves  unto  the  hills 
from   whence  came  thy  salvation,   and   how   thou 
didst  sing,  "The  Lord  is  my  rock  and  my  fortress'" 
He  who  draws  near  to  God  has   always   to   sail 
across  dark  seas  at  first,  but  ere  long,  if  he  perse- 
veres, he  shall  find  his  Mighty  Fortress. 

But  the  point  of  greatest  interest  is  the  Rock 
itself.    We  are  eager  to  explore  its  mysteries.  Soon 


i8 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


we  arc  ashore.  Our  guide  rerures  the  permit  for 
us  to  remain  till  the  evening  gun-firing,  and  we 
pass  into  tlie  city.  Up  the  rocky  road  we  drive  to 
the  old  Moorish  castle  built  in  the  eighth  century 
and  now  used  as  a  prison.  There  \vc  leave  the  car- 
riages, and  under  the  escort  of  a  British  soldier  pass 
through  the  ponderous  gates  with  their  sleepless 
sentinels,  and  enter  the  tuimcls  with  which  the  rtxk 
is  honeycombed.  These  galleries  "have  an  aggre- 
gate length  of  two  or  three  miles."  At  every  twelve 
yards  we  passed  portholes  from  which  were  pointed 
great  Connor,  with  their  loaded  cartridges  beside 
them.  Here  and  there  were  magazines  filled  with 
the  destructive  shot  and  shell.  Through  these  gal- 
leries we  wandered  till  we  were  weary,  marveling  at 
their  strength.  We  gazed  through  the  portholes 
upon  the  bay,  where  the  floating  men-of-war  ap- 
peared like  grasshoppers,  and  thought  how  vain 
would  be  a  naval  attack  upon  this  fort.  The  view 
from  these  openings,  500  feet  above  the  city,  is 
sublime.  About  three  miles  away  we  see  the  moun- 
tain on  which  the  haughty  Spanish  queen  once 
sat,  declaring  that  she  would  not  move  till  the 
British  f^ag  was  lowered  from  Gibraltar.  Fortu- 
nately for  her  dignity  and  her  life,  the  foe  good- 
naturedlv  consented  to  lower  the  flag  at  sunset,  but 
it  was  raised  again  at  dawn.  Yet  the  Spanish  still 
claim  Gibraltar,  though  the  British  have  held  pos- 
session for  200  years.  Every  year  Spain  sends 
a  protest  to  the  British  overnment.  demanding 
that  they   relinquish  their  "temporary"  occupation. 


A  MIGHTV  FOrjRESS 


19 

The  strength  of  this  forlre«  is  known  only  .0  th. 

to  enter  the  highest  pontons,  nor  any  of  the  myriad 
s^ret  places   with   which  the   rc/ahound"'      ' 

pass-a  gate  whose  "open  sesame"  is  l<nown   bv 
few     Our  soldier  guide  had  been  there  three  years 
ye.  declared  that  he  knew  as  little  as  did  wlof "he 
upper  fortress.    Of  this  as  of  that  other  r^k,  "half 
has  neyer  been  told,"  but  it  is  simply  impre^abk 

cTff;    ^  u        "^  °"'  """  '■»''«'  •'°>'n  the  dizzy 
hffs  whtch  nse  perpendicularly  for  hundreds "f 

v;^"w.s:irbt:rtrgtr<^d::;^ 

watch  from  the  sum^XarreSLr.^;?' 

^47':^  Harr"'^-; '  "^^  '^«"  •""■■sh  '"-^'^ 

Ou  be'.  buT  ""''  """^''  ""  '"■•'ifi'^ations  at 

ptt;'itr;:tcroT^,S/r  -'  --  - 
^^Sie^^^c^Lf--:-^^^^^^^^^^^ 

has  been  properly  fortified,  though  i.  has  Icn  m  ny 
..ntes  besteged.  The  most  memorable  siege  0701^ 
bralar.  mjeed  one  of  the  most  memorable  of  a  I 
s.eges,    was   that   which   it   sustained  against   the 

drinrtt'"" '"'  ='^ '"'"' "'  F-"- -<■  sp  t 

dunng  the  years  ,7-9  to  ,;83.     The  grand  attack 
was  made  on  the  13th  of  September,  and  the  re- 


,'7:.i:  ■  4^:5^^:»Q?5;|3>5r-F^ 


20 


riLGRIM  SERMONS 


sources  of  power  and  science  were  exhausted  by 
the  assailants  in  the  fruitless  attempt.  On  the  side 
of  the  sea  they  brought  to  bear  against  the  fortress 
46  battleships  and  a  countless  fleet  of  gun  and 
mortar  boats.  But  their  chief  hope  lay  in  their 
floating  batteries  constructed  by  a  famous  French 
engineer  and  built  at  a  cost  of  a  half  a  million 
pounds  sterling.  They  were  so  constructed  as  to 
be  impenetrable  to  red-hot  shot,  and  were  said  to 
be  invincible.  So  sure  were  they  of  victory  that 
Count  d'Artois,  who  was  afterward  king  of  France, 
hastened  from  Paris  to  witness  the  capture  of  the 
fortress.  He  arrived  in  time  to  see  Gibi  altar  open 
such  a  fusilade  of  fire  that  his  floating  batteries 
were  totally  destroyed,  ard  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  combined  fleet  almost  blown  from  the  waters. 
Since  that  eventful  siege  no  power  has  had  the  pre- 
sumption to  attack  Gibraltar.  The  combined  fleets 
of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  might  gather  in  vain 
against  it.  They  might  use  against  it  the  mightiest 
enginery  oi  modern  warfare,  and  you  could  sit 
quietly  in  one  of  those  rock-hewn  chambers  and 
laugh  at  their  futile  efforts. 

If  Gibraltar  is  impregnable,  how  much  more  is 
that  God  who  made  it?  The  ancient  Greeks  were 
wont  to  Call  this  rock  "the  pillar  of  Hercules,"  in 
honor  of  their  god  of  strength ;  but  we  had  better 
call  it  the  pillar  of  God,  ftr  it  was  God's  hand 
that  lifted  that  great  rock  from  the  seas  and  set  it 
on  high.  Who  can  conquer  God  ?  Many  have  tried 
but  all  have  failed.     In  heaven  Satan  rebelled  and 


iM13&-?^ 


A  MIGHTY  FORTRESS  21 

with  him  were  gathered  many  rebellious  angels  but 
vvhen  they  raised  their  hands  to  fight  with  God 
they  were  hurled  precipitously  from  the  heights 
of  heaven  to  the  bottomless  abyss.  Pharoah  fought 
agamst  our  God,  but  his  fight  was  vain;  his  land 

ZZ  r7u    ^''^"  P^'^"'  ""^  ^"•^•"^'  his  home  was 
nvaded  by  the  angel  of  death,  and  he  himself  with 
lis  m:ghty  hosts  was  overwhelmed  in  the  sea  as 
the   result   of   his   presumptuous    folly.       Babvlon 

hStf '^■^°"': '- '-  -'^'  heLif,t'^;s 

herself  to  heaven ;  but  where  is  Babylon  to-day  ?  Far 
across  those  eastern  deserts  vou  will  find  her  hum- 
bed  m  the  sands  the  abode  ot  j.ckals  and  the  home 
of  owls.    Bethsaida  and  Chorazin  contended  against 
God  so  that  Christ  said  "Woe  unto  thee.  BetLida 
and  Chorazm     and  that  woe  has  been  fulfilled,  for  I 
mysef  trod  the  shores  where  now  nothing  can  be 
found  but  a  few  grass-covered  n.ounds  among  which 
he  green  luards  creep.  All  history  teaches  tL  God 
IS  a  fortress  who  ,s  impregnable.     Though  all  the 

.t  nst   tbTT  '"'  "^^'  ^"'  ^^"  ^^'^-  -«d 
aga.nst    that   fortress,    they   would    be   but   as   tlie 

waves   that   murmur  on   Gibraltar's   shores.     The 

God  who  s.tteth  upon  the  circle  of  the  heavens  could 
blow  them  away  with  the  breath  of  his  nostnls.    All 

he  nations  of  the  earth  would  be  to  him  but  as 
^he  dust  m  the  balance."  He  is  the  changeleL 
Rock,  the  impregnable  Fortress,  the  same  yesterday, 

o-day  and  forever.    Happy  is  he  whose  strength 
th    Lord.     Happy  is  he  who  can  sing  as  did  Da- 
vid,    the  Lord  is  my  rock  and  my  fortress." 


U"C^ 


^W9aWI??'5^^-.vW^> 


•^r' 


;^;*--Sr,iKj^V>.Sj 


1  -■  €5  ■:>.T>-'.< 


iiii 


22 


PILGRIM  ZERMOxNS 


Again  we  may  compare  the  fortress  of  Gibraltar 
to  the  Fortress,  which  is  the  Loru,  in  the  protection 
that  they  each  afford.  Though  they  are  so  strong, 
they  condescend  to  protect  the  weak.  As  we  chmbed 
about  that  rock  I  found  many  a  "Httle  flower  in 
the  crannied  wall,"  protected  from  storms  by  the 
jutting  rock,  safe  from  plunder  of  its  sweet  blos- 
soms by  the  steepness  of  the  cliff,  there  nestling 
close  to  its  great  protector  it  was  a  symbol  of  the 
Christians  who  live  close  to  God  being  "rooted  and 
grounded  in  him,"  sheltered  and  protected  by  him, 
seeking  to  glon'^y  him  by  a  perfect  life,  as  the  tiny 
flower  glorifies  the  mighty  fortress  by  its  fragrant 
blossoms.  Again,  Gibraltar  is  the  protector  of  the 
city  at  its  feet,  a  city  that  has  crawled  up  as  close 
to  those  cliff's  of  rock  as  it  could  possibly  get,  as 
though  imploring  their  protection ;  a  city  which  > 
a  picture  of  perfect  peace  as  it  nestles  confidingly 
in  those  arms  of  living  stone  as  a  child  might  nestle 
in  its  mother's  arms,  or  as  a  trustful  Christian 
rests  in  the  "everlasting  arms"  of  God. 

Most  interesting  is  this  city  of  20,000  inhabit- 
ants, with  its  beautiful  Almeda  Gardens,  where  in 
midwinter  birds  sing  in  the  branches,  flowers  bloom 
by  the  w<iyside  and  oranges  hang  ripe  upon  the 
trees  as  templing  as  the  apples  of  Eden.  Most  in- 
teresting are  the  thronging  people.  What  a  cu- 
rious crowd  surrounds  us  as  we  enter  the  narrow, 
crowded  streets.  People  of  every  nation  seem  to 
be  there,  and  every  person  seems  to  wear  a  more 
picturesque  costume  than  his  neighbor;  and  everyone 


m:miLi^\^^^-^A^^^MKi 


A  MIGHTY  FORTRESS  23 

seems  to  have  something  for  sale.     We  could  not 
keep  back  the  laughter  as  we  drove  through  the 
streets.      It   seemed   like   a   serio-comic   circus   ar- 
ranged  for    our    especial    entertainment.     Moors, 
Turks,  Spaniards,  Greeks,  French  and  Enghsh  jos- 
tled each  otiier  in  the  streets.    Sailors  and  soldiers, 
priests  and  beggars,  lad.es  and  loafers,  peddlers  and 
pickpockets  were  there,  and  men  vied  with  women 
in   the  brilliancy   of  their  costumes.     Everywhere 
were  seen  little  donkeys,  with  sanctimonious  faces, 
ears  like  oais  and  unchristian  heels,  bearing  large 
burdens  and  stepping  cheerfully  upon  people's  feet 
or    crowding    them  unceremoniously  against     the 
walls.     Everyone  was  on  the  move,'  and  everyone 
had  something  to  sell.    A  happy  city  it  would  seem, 
yet  one  whose  people  must  obey  orders  or  forfeit 
the  protection  of  the  fort.     No  one  may  land  there 
without  permission  from  the  officers,  and  permits 
may  be  canceled  at  any  time  for  bad  behavior.     All 
citizens  must  be  within  the  city  walls  at  the  firing 
of  the  evening  gun,  or  the  gates   will  be   locked 
against  them.    Any  person  found  upon  the  '"neutral 
ground"  which  separates  the  British  territory  from 
that  of  Spain  after  the  hours  of  darkness  is  liable 
to  be  shot.     Every  ship  that  enters  that  port  nuist 
lower  it<   flag  and   salute  the  Union  Jack  or  run 
liie  risk  of  instant  destruction.     In  short,  all  who 
seek  the  protection  of  that  fortress  must  obey  the 
laws  that  the  fortress  lias  established. 

Is  it  not  even  so  with  the  otiier  Fortress  of  which 
we  have  been  speaking?     No  one  mav  enter  the 


^^•^"^^w^w^M-m^^^^imm^A 


t^ 


M 


PILGRHI  SERMONS 


harbor  protected  by  the  Divine  Fortress  until  they 
lower  their  colors  and  run  up  to  the  masthead  the 
signal,  "Not  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done."  No  one 
may  land  upon  those  shores,  or  enter  that  eternal 
city,  or  find  shelter  in  "the  Rock  of  Our  Salvation," 
who  has  not  secured  a  permit  signed  by  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  And  he  who  having  found  protec- 
tion thc-e  turns  his  back  upon  it  and  enters  the 
neutral  ground  that  leads  to  the  dominion  of  Satan, 
does  so  at  his  own  peril.  Those  who  would  have 
God's  protection  must  obey  God's  laws. 

But  the  hour  of  departure  had  come.  We  hast- 
ened back  to  our  ship  and  were  soon  steaming  from 
the  harbor.  The  "Stars  and  Stripes"  were  lowered 
in  salute  to  the  British  men-of-war,  while  they  in 
turn  dipped  the  "Union  Jack,"  and  our  bands  joined 
in  the  music  of  our  national  anthems.  As  we  left 
we  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  workman- 
ship of  the  gunners  of  the  rock.  Away  in  the  dis- 
tance, nearly  a  mile  oflf  shore,  floated  a  buoy  with  a 
tiny  red  flag.  From  the  summit  of  the  rock  there 
came  a  puff  of  smoke,  followed  by  a  sharp  report, 
and  a  few  seconds  later  a  fountain  of  spray  was 
tossed  into  the  air  where  the  shot  struck  the  water 
half  a  mile  away.  The  accuracy  of  the  gunner  was 
indisputable,  for  at  the  second  shot  he  struck  down 
the  little  red  flag  which  was  the  floating  target.  Woe 
be  to  the  ship  that  dares  to  pass  that  fortress  with- 
out lowering  her  flag  as  a  signal  of  respect  to  the 
Union  Jack. 

From  the  Mediterranean,  Gibraltar  looks    lik:    a 


A  MIGHTY  FORTRESS  25 

crouching  Hon  carved  in  stone  and  looking  toward 
the  north,  typical  perhaps  of  the  British  lion;  but 
our  thoughts  fly  onward  across  the  waves,  which 
sparkle  like  "polished  pearls,"  to  that  other  land 
made  sacred  by  him  who  was  called  the  Lamb  of 
God,  and  we  wonder  how  long  it  will  be  before  the 
hon  and  the  laml  shall  lie  down  together,  and  uni- 
versal peace  shall  take  the  place  of  war.  God 
hasten  the  day ! 


CHAPTER  II 


LIVING  SERMONS  FROM  DEAD  LIPS 

"He,  being  dead,  yet  sl^eaketli." 

These  words  were  spoken  of  Abel,  but  they  are 
true  of  thousands.  Many  of  the  dead  still  speak 
to  us.  Many  times  have  we  felt  "the  touch  of  a 
vanished  hand,"  and  heard  "the  sound  of  a  voice 
that  is  still."  The  mother  may  have  rested  in  the 
tomb  for  years,  but  "being  dead  she  yet  speaketh" 
to  her  children.  Her  voice  which  is  silent  to  the 
ear  is  loud  to  the  heart.  That  little  prattling  child 
of  yours  who  wound  itself  into  the  tendrils  of  your 
affections  but  whom  God  has  called  to  himself,  "be- 
ing dead  yet  speaketh,"  the  echo  of  its  silver  'augh 
will  never  die  away  from  the  halls  of  your  mem- 
ory. And  how  true  it  is  of  Jesus  our  Savior  that 
'"he,  being  dead,  yet  speaketh !"  So  often  has  he 
spoken  with  us  that  we  fancy  it  will  not  be  a 
stranger's  voice  that  shall  greet  us  when  we 
stand  knocking  at  yonder  heavenly  door ;  but 
rather  the  voice  of  a  Familiar  Friend  "whom  hav- 
ing not  seen  we  love."  True  it  is  that  dead  ser- 
mons are  oftentimes  preached  bv  living  lips  but 
it  is  also  true  that  living  sermons  are  preached 
from  dead  lips.  We  are  now  to  listen  to  some  ser- 

26 


SERMONS  FROM  DEAD  LIPS  27 

mons  from  the  people  of  Pompeii  who  were  buried 
in  a  living  death  centuries  ago,  but  who  being 
dead  yet  speak. 

As  everyone  knows    it   was    Mount    Vesuvius 
whose   volcanic   eruptions   nineteen    centuries    ago 
resulted  in  the  death  and  burial  of  Pompeii.  Per- 
haps the  most  wierd  and  thrilling  experience  of 
my  travels  was  our  ascent  of  this  awful  Mount. 
Driving  out  from  Naples,  past  many  a  fine  man- 
sion and  many  a  beautiful  garden,  we  came  to  the 
slope  of  the  Mount  and  soon  were  surrounded  by 
black  beds  of  lava.     Hour  after  hour  we  climbed 
up  the  road  becoming  more  desolate  the  farther 
we  went.     On  every  side  was  the  barren  lava,  not 
lying  smooth  as  one  might  fancy,  but  twisted  and 
contorted  as  though  a  mountain  torrent  had  been 
frozen  into  coal-black  ice  or  a  raging,  tossing  sea 
had   been  petrified   into  iron.     No  imagination  is 
required  to  think  of  the  time  while  all  was  molten 
stone  pouring  in    torrents   down   the    mountain's 
side,  for  its  shape  is  now  just  as  it  was  when  it 
flowed   in   streams    and    eddies   over    the    rocks. 
There  are  cataracts  and  pools,  rivers  and  lakes  of 
black   lava.     As  we  rise   higher  we  come  to  the 
place  where  the  road  itself  was  covered  with  this 
mass  in  the  eruption  of  1872,  so  that  a  new  road 
had   to  be  built.        By  the   road   side  places  are 
pomted  out  where  houses  with  all  their  occupants 
were  buried  in  that  burning  flood.  Yonder  in  that 
valley  do  you  see  that  yellow  rising  smoke  ?     It  is 
coming  from  the  lava   which  poured   forth  but  a 


m> 


28 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


few  weeks  ago  and  which  has  not  yet  cooled.  Still 
more  desolate  did  the  way  become  as  we  ascended, 
till  not  a  tree,  not  a  flower  could  be  seen,  nothing 
but  a  wilderness  of  hardened  lava.  To  make  it 
still  more  dreary  the  clouds  had  settled  down 
upon  us  so  densely  that  one  could  see  but  a  few 
rods  through  the  gloom.  We  were  nearing  the 
summit.  Leaving  our  carriages,  we  took  the  lit- 
tle funicular  railroad  which  ascends  at  an  angle 
of  60  degrees  and  in  ten  minutes  reached  the  high- 
est station.  A  climb  of  fifteen  minutes  over  the 
cinder  beds  brought  us  to  the  mouth  of  the  crater. 
Standing  upon  the  edge  of  the  crater  and  looking 
down  into  that  awful  abyss  which  has  hurled  forth 
death  upon  thousands  of  people,  an  abyss  now 
filled  with  lurid  smoke  and  mists,  we  could  hear 
the  deep  rumbling  of  the  seething  cauldron  below, 
at  whose  boiling  the  very  mountain  trembled 
beneath  our  feet.  No  one  could  stay  there  long, 
for  we  were  almost  strangled  by  the  sulphurous 
fumes.  At  one  place  we  were  taken  by  our  guides 
to  a  long  crack  in  the  mountain  side  from  which 
molten  sulphur  was  oozing  forth,  and  fumes 
which  seemed  to  come  from  hell  itself  tried  to 
stifle  us.  Do  you  wonder  that  we  trembled  as  we 
stood  there — with  nothing  to  be  seen  but  those 
mists  and  smokes  which  enveloped  us  and  the  hot 
ashes  upon  which  we  stood  and  nothing  to  be 
heard  but  the  deep,  thunderous  roaring  of  the 
crater?  Shut  out  from  all  help,  all  the  worl'  far, 
far  below  us,  it  s»..^med  as  though  we  had  reached 


Hmj.iiiKD^SISS^^rHm 


SERMONS  FROM  DEAD  LIPS  29 

the  end  of  the  earth  and  were  utterly  at  the  mercy 
of  the  mountain.  We  would  have  been  more  ner- 
vous still  had  we  known  that  only  four  days  aft- 
erwards that  crater  without  any  warning  what- 
ever would  send  a  river  of  molten  lava  pouring 
down  the  mountain  side.  Imagine  our  feelings 
when  we  read  of  it  in  the  papers!  There  was  a 
deep  feeling  of  relief  when  we  had  gone  down, 
down,  down  that  winding  lava  road,  till  the 
clouds  and  sulphurous  smokes  were  left  behind, 
and  we  saw  the  city  set  like  a  silver  crescent 
crowning  the  beautiful  Bay  of  xVaples  glorious  in 
the  warm  sunshine.  We  were  glad  we  had  visited 
Vesuvius. 

Having  seen  Vesuvius  we  were  ready  to  appre- 
ciate  Pompeii.     We  could   understand   something 
of  the  horrors  of  that  day  1800  years  ago  when 
the  enraged   volcano  buried   this  city   in  burning 
ashes  and  cinders  and  molten  stone.  A  young  man 
named    Pliny   escaped   from  the  city,   though  his 
two    uncles    perished    in    the  ruin   and    he     has 
described    the    dreadful    catastrophy    in    a    letter 
which   has   been   handed   down   through  the  ages 
even  to  us.     The  "murky  darkness"  was  so  great 
that  the  noonday  seemed  like  "a  black  and  moon- 
less   night."    "On    every    hand    were    heard    the 
complaints  of  women,  the  wailing  of  children,  the 
cries  of  men.     One  called  his  ..ther,  another  his 
son,   another  his   wife,"    and    louder    than    their 
voices  was  the  roaring  of  the  mount.     "Many  in 
their  despair  begged  that  death  would  come  and 


,'.' 


»'v 


T^-  V.' 


■^  .f 


7^     i/^^^  TT! 


^^;/.^^^iit?.*ii^ 


30 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


end   their   distress.     Some   implored   the   gods   to 
succor   them,   and    some   believed   that   this   night 
was  the  last,  the  eternal  night,  which  should  en- 
gulf the  universe!"     "Even   so  it  seemed  to  me," 
wrote  riiny.  "and  I  consoled  myself  for  the  com- 
ing death  with  the  reiloction,  "Behold  the  world 
is  passing  auvy!"     What   wonder  that  these  ter- 
rified  people  thought    that   the  end   of   the    world 
had  come,  "the  day  of  wrath,  that  awful  day.  when 
heaven  and  earth  snail  pass  away."     They   were 
overtaken  in  death,  and  their  city  which  had  been 
the  pride  of  the  age  was  buried  in  ashes  so  deeply 
that   its   very   site   was   forgotten   for  many   cen- 
turies.       \'ineyards    and     mulberry    groves     were 
blooming  above  it  when  little  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  it  was  discovered  that  twenty  feet 
beneath  lay  the  entombed  ruins  of  the  city.     For 
eighteen  centuries   that   city   had   slept    in    silence, 
its    dead    lying    in  its    homes  and    temples    and 
streets.     But   now   it   was  to  arise  and   its   dead 
once  more  should  speak. 

Pompeii  proved  to  be  a  glorious  surprise.  Our 
guide  books  had  warned  us  not  to  expect  too 
much,  but  we  came  away  feeling  that  "the  half 
had  never  been  told."  After  all  I  had  heard 
and  read  about  the  "Ruined  City"  I  was  not  pre- 
pared for  such  wonders.  I  had'  expected  to  find 
merely  a  few  streets  in  a  fair  state  of  preserva- 
ti'm;  but  there  were  street  after  street,  block  after 
block,  an  entire  city  awakened  from  the  sleep  of 
centuries.      Any  description   must    be    inadequate. 


■m:m^i^^j'^'^m3 


SERMOXS  FROM  DEAD  LIPS  31 

There  were  tlic  narrow  streets  paved  with  great 
blocks  of  stone  in  which  deep  ruts  ha<l  be.n  worn 
throufrh  the  centuries  by  passing  chariots.     Tliere 
were  the  drinking  fountains  placed  at  the  comers 
of  the  streets  with  trouglis   for  horses  and  places 
where    the    passer-by    might    quench     his    thirst 
Ihere   was  a   fountain  carved   in   stone  represent- 
ing a   woman   with   the   water  pouring  from   her 
hps;   she  might   once   have  been   as   beautiful   as 
\cnus.  but  the  marble  face  had  actuallv  been  worn 
avvay  by   the  thirsty   lips   of  countless   thousands 
who  are  long  since  turned  to  dust.     There  were 
the    Basilica    and    Forum,    the   pillars    and    pave- 
ments  stdl    remaining   as    they    were    when    wor- 
shipers   thronged   their   courts   or  criminals   were 
tried  therein.        There  were  the  wine-shops  with 
their  jars  cut  in  solid  stone.     There  were  the  tem- 
ples of  Jupiter,  Mercur>'  and  Isis,  with  their  al- 
tars of  marble,  their  wonderful  statues  and  bas- 
reliefs,    their   confessional    chambers,   their   fount- 
ains and  mosaics,  which  for  magnificence   of  ar- 
tistic   design    and    execution    surpass    anvthing    I 
have  ever  seen.     There  .vere  the  pictures  painted 
on  the  walls  of  temples  and  homes  in  colors  that 
are  still  brilliant,  pictures  representing  most  beau- 
tifully legends  of  the  gods  and  scenes  of  Roman 
lite     There  were  the  homes,  luxurious  dwellings 
with  porticos,   fountains,   dining-rooms,  chambers' 
banqueting-halls.     There   were    the    public  baths' 
made   of   solid   marble   with    rooms   magnificentiv 
decorated,    having    cold    baths,    hot    baths,    steam 


'^^:d:¥^:^m  1f^«< 


32 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


batlis,  and  the  very  couch  of  stone  upon  which  the 
bather  lay  to  be  rubbed  down  by  the  attendant. 
There  was  the  theatre  almost  as  perfect  in  its  ap- 
pointments as  those  of  today,  and  far  more  costly. 
There  was  the  amphitheatre,  and  here  upon  the 
walls  of  the  street  were  bulletins  printed  upon 
stone  announcing  the  coming  gladiatorial  combat. 
There  was  the  rectangle  surro;*  cd  by  pillars,  in 
which  the  gladiators  and  youth  of  Pompeii  had 
exercises,  contests  and  games.  .All  that  was  lack- 
ing was  that  men  and  women  should  arise  from 
the  dust  and  re-pcoplc  this  resurrected  city. 

And  many  men  and  women  have  been  found 
therein,  found  amid  such  surroundings  as  to  show 
that  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Noah  before  the 
flood,  so  was  it  also  in  the  city  of  Pompeii.  "Tlicy 
did  eat,  they  drank,  they  married  wives,  they  were 
given  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  God  brought 
this  wicked  city  to  judgment  and  the  flood  came 
and  destroyed  them  all," — ^  u  ■  1  not  of  water, 
but  of  molten  stone.  In  the  museum  at  Pomjieii 
the  petrified  remains  of  some  of  these  persons 
have  been  preserved  in  ghastly  perfection,  and 
now  we  shall  listen  to  semions  from  their  dead 
lips.     For  they  "being  dead  yet  speak"  to  us. 

The  first  is  two  female  figiu-es  clasped  in  each 
others  arms  as  though  each  would  protect  the 
other  from  the  fiery  ashes  which  were  falling  from 
the  black  skies.  Probably  they  are  mother  and 
daughter,  and  certainly  they  preach  us  a  sermon 
on  Filial  Affection  or  Love  in  the  Home.     Their 


WESfi^^iiZk^MStl 


SF.RMOXS  FROM  DEAD  LIPS  33 

dca.l  lips  speak  to  us  of  the  undying  affection 
which  should  over  unitc^  mothers  and  daughters, 
children  and  their  parents. 

Pomi)eii  was  filled  with  licentiousness  and  vice 
In  a  certain   room   in   the  museum   at   Xaples    a 
n>oni  which  no  woman  is  allowed  to  enter,  nvc  saw 
J^'welry  and  household  ornaments   which  by  their 
obscenity  would  shock  any  civilized  city  on  earth 
today,  and  of    which  it   is  unlawful    for    nK-  to 
speak;  but  spite  of  this  vilencss.  which  it  would 
seem  was  almost  universal  in  high  societv  and  in 
ow.  we  know  that  there  w^^  at  least  one  home 
in   which   love   ruled  supreme.        Of  this   queenly 
mother  and  daughter  clasped   in  the  embrace  of 
death  we  may  sing  as  sang  David   of  the  royal 
father  and  his  son-they  were  "lovely  and  pleasant 
in  their  lives  and  in  their  death  they  were  not  di- 
vided.      We  may  wander  through  the  streets  of 
lompeii,  treading  its  temples  and  entering  its  de- 
serted  homes:  but  coming  l^ack  to  these  lifeless 
figures  we  must  exclaim   with  Paul,  "The  great- 
est of  these  is  love."     Love  should  be  the  queen 
to  rule  every  household,  parents  and  children  alike 
obeying  her  behests.    God  pity  the  home  in  which 
love  does  not  rule.     God   pity  the  daughter  that 
does  not  know  the  shelter  of  her  mother's  arms 
in   time  of  danger,    the  safety  of    her    mother's 
counse  in  the  storms  of  life.  God  have  mercy  upon 
tlie  children  who  are  bringing  down  their  father's 
gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave  and  who  are 
a  bitteniess  to  her  that  bore  them.     God   forgive 


34 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


the  parents  who  do  not  bind  their  children  to  them 
by  cords  of  iove  that  are  stronger  than  "hooks  of 
steel."  Harken  to  the  sermon  which  these  dead 
lips  preach  to  you.  The  day  hastens  when  the 
earth  shall  be  enveloped  in  catastrophy  as  was 
Pompeii;  but  love  is  a  virtue  that  death  itself  can- 
not destroy,  for  "love  never  faileth." 

The    second    sermon    is    preached    by    the    dead 
lips  of  a  miser,  and  is  a  sermon  on  the  Greed  of 
Gold.    In  one  of  the  long  Pompeiian  halls  the  skele- 
ton of  a  man  was  found  with  ten  pieces  of  gold 
clutched  m  one  hand  and  a  silver  key  in  the  other. 
Near  him  were  the  remains  of  his  slave,  whose  arms 
were  filled  with  precious  objects  and  gold  and  silver 
coins.    Thus  the  miser  had  rushed  back  for  his  val- 
ua!)les,  risking  life  itself  in  that  venture,  and  having 
secui-ed  them  had  started  toward  the  door ;  but  the 
fiery  tempest  caught  him  at  the  very  threshold,  and 
he  sank  down  and  died.     Stand  and  look  upon  the 
figure  now  rigid  in  death,  but  with  the  gold  corns 
still  glistening  in  his  bony  fingers,  and  harken  to 
the  sermon  which  lips  now  turned  to  dust  preach 
upon  the  greed  of  gold.     lie  is  but  on''  of  the  thou- 
sands who  have  given  their  lives  for  gold.     Thou- 
sands have  given  that  which  is  more  precious  than 
life   itself.      Men  have   given   their   honor,  womicn 
have  given  their  virtue  that  they  might  see  the  coins 
glistening  in   their  finders.     But   at   last  the   tiesh 
will   fall  from   the  fingers  that  hold  the  gold,  and 
the  eyes  that  now  feast  themselves  upon  \  will  turn 
to  dust  in  their  sockets.     The  spirit  will  return  to 


i   i 


SERMONS  FROM  DEAD  LIPS  35 

God  who  gave  it.  What  benefit,  then,  will  be  the 
gold?  This  miser  might  perchance  have  saved  his 
life  had  h^  fled  in  time;  but  he  lost  it.  "What 
shall  It  i,  ill  .  man  ,f  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lo:.  his  own  life,  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in 
exchan  -  vir  bh  lift .?" 

In  one  of  the  i^.mes  of  Pompeii  I  saw  a  mosaic 
picture  which  might  well  be  a  warning  to  us  against 
hat  greed  of  gold  which  is  the  curse  of  the  world 
today,  national,  municipal  and  individual.    The  pic- 
ture represented  the  vanity  of  riches.    In  this  mo- 
saic was  a  V-shaped  structure  like  the  rafters  of  a 
building.   From  one  end  of  these  rafters  was  hung 
an  assortment  of  rich  clothing,  garments  of  purple 
and  gold  encrusted  with  costly  gems.    At  the  other 
end  all  sorts  of  sparMing  jewels,  necklaces  of  pearls 
chains   3f  gold,  strings  of  diamonds,  emeralds  and 
opals.    But  from  the  center,  between  the  two,  there 
hung  a  human  skull.    Do  you  not  hear  the  sermon  ^ 

sh.I.t       :.'^\^^'^^^"-&  gems.     But  finallv  t'hou 
Shalt  be  a  disrobed  and  grinning  skeleton.    Of  what 

vane,  then,  will  be  thy  robes  and  jewels  if  thou 

there"''" u°  '''"^  ^'^°"  '^^  ^'°^ ?    ^^h.  friends. 

ka  Tt  is^lf  ,T'-P''"°"^  *'^"  ''''  ^°'^  °f  Alas- 
ka ,  It  IS  the  golden  ring  of  God's  forgiveness.    There 

is^a  pearl  more  precious  than  the  pearls  of  the  Pa- 
cmc;  It  is  the  pearl  of  salvation.  Have  these  and 
thou  shalt  be  truly  rich. 

Another    "who    being    dead    vet    speaketh"    is 
a  young  woman  whose  petrified  form  shows  many 


36 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


signs  of  beauty  and  who  was  discovered  prone  upon 
her  face,  with  her  hands  raised  over  her  head  as 
though  to  protect  her  from  the  hot  rain  of  burning 
sulphur  that  was  falUng  all  around  her.     Or  per- 
chance those  hands  were  raised  in  supplication,  for 
she  with  many  others  were  found  in  the  temple,  as 
though  they  had  rushed  there  to  implore  the  pro- 
tection of  the  goddess.    But  they  cried  in  vain.  Like 
the  gods  whom  the  priests  of  Baal  worshiped  when 
challenged  by  Elijah  they  tried  to  call  down  fire 
from  heaven,  these  gods  of  wood  and  stone  had  eyes 
but  they  saw  not  the  suppliants  before  them,  ears 
had   they,    but  heard   not  those   agonizing  cries — 
nay,  .'hey  heard  not  even  the  awful  roaring  of  the 
mount  ihat  was  pouring  forth  its  destruction  upon 
them,     "They  w^cre  stone,  their  hearts  within  were 
stone."    Vain  was  this  poor  girl's  fai'ih.       She  died 
in  despair.     The  gods  themselves  had  forsaken  her. 
Oh,  the  agon>    i  that  last  moment,  when  she  learned 
all  too  late  that  the  gods  in  whom  she  had  trusted 
could  neither  hear  nor  help.     Beware  lest  thou  put 
thy  faith  in  something  that  will  fail  thee  at  the  last. 
Trust  in  God.     Find  in  him  your  refuge  and  your 
fortress,  your  very  present  help  in  time  of  trouble. 
T'-ust  in  him,  and  then  thou  ncedst  not  fear  though 
the  earth  be  removed  and  the  mountains  be  carried 
into  the  midst  of  the  sea.     They  who  trust  in  him 
shall  never  be  put  to  shame. 

But  the  loudest  sermon  from  Pompeii  comes  from 
the  lips  of  that  Roman  soldier  who  was  found  at 
the  city  gate  clad  in  complete  armor.     True  to  his 


SERMONS  FROM  DEAD  LIPS  n 

!uty,  true  to  his  proud  name  of  a  soldier  of  Rome, 
and  full  of  tl;e  stern  courage  which  had  given  to 
that  name  its  glory,  he  stood  at  his  post  by  the  city 
gate,  erect  and  unflinchi.  g,  till  the  hell  that  raged 
around  him  burned  out  the  dauntless  spirit  that  it 
could  not  conquer.  That  grand  figure  clad  in  his  suit 
of  mail,  standing  faithful  at  the  gateway  when  he 
might  easily  have  fled,  refusing  to  prove  recreant  to 
his  trust  though  Vesuvius  itself  should  engulf  him, 
shall  always  be  to  the  world  an  incarnate  sermon  on 
Fidelity  to  Duty.    We  cannot  read  or  hear  or  think 
of  Pompeii  but  we  remember  that  soldier.     "Being 
dead,  he  yet  speaks."    His  lips  of  dust  deliver  a  mes- 
sage to  which  this  age  needs  to  barken.    Remember, 
oh  man.  oh  woman,  whatever  thy  calling  in  life,  to 
be  as  faithful  to  thy  duty  as  this  Roman  was  to  his. 
The  words  of  Goethe's  poem  might  be  the  words 
this  soldier's  lips  would  speak  to  us : 

"Haste  not!  Rest  not!  Calmly  wait; 
Meekly  bear  the  storms  of  fate; 
Duty  be  thy  polar  star. 
Do  the  right  whate'er  betide ! 
Haste  not !  Rest  not !  Conflicts  past, 
God  shall  crown  thy  work  at  last." 

He  who  is  obedient  to  the  voice  of  duty  mav  meet 
with  destruction  here  as  did  the  soldier  of  Pompeii ; 
but  hereafter  he  shall  receive  a  crown  of  life  which 
is  indestructible  and  full  of  glory. 

God  grant  that  we  may  learn  the  lessons  of  this 
buried  city,  for  we  ourselves  shall  soon  become  in- 


n 


38 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


habitants  of  the  city  of  the  dead.  pfrant  that 

we  may  harkcn  to  the  sermons  of  i.,ose  dead  Hps, 
ere  our  lips  also  are  transformed  to  dust. 


CHAPTER  III 

RExMINDERS  OF  ST.  PAUL 

He  who  travels  through  the  countries  bordering 
on  the  Mediterranean  will  find  much  to  remind  him 
of  St.  Paul,  who  called  himself  the  "least  of  the 
apostles,"  but  whom  Christendom  has  declared  to 
be  the  greatest  of  them  all. 

"Wake  up,"  cried  my  messmate,  before  sunrise 
on  the  morning  after  leaving  Naples,  "we  are  just 
entefing  the  Straits  of  Messina."     Soon  we  were 
scanning  the  shores  of  which  Homer  had  said  : 
"Dire  Scylla  there  a  scene  of  horror  forms 
And  here  Charybdis  fills  the  deep  with  storms." 
Who  has  not  read  the  classic  story  of  Ulysses' 
perilous  adventure  here,  and  who  has  not  pictured 
to  himself  the  narrow  straits  whose  rocks  and  pools 
and  sirens  this  Grecian  hero  braved?     But  Homer 
used  "poetic  license"  with  a  vengeance.     His  awful 
straits, 

"     *     *     *     where  Scylla  raves 
And  dire  Charybdis  rolls  her  thundering  waves," 

are  a  passage  several  miles  across,  separating  Italy 
from  Sicily.  Paul  sailed  through  it  on  his  voyage 
to  Rome  and  we  passed  safely  through  on  our  way 
to  Jerusalem.     Our  brave  captain,  unlike  Ulysses, 

30 


40 


riLGRlM  SERMONS 


: 


did  not  have  himself  chained  to  the  mast  lest  his 
heart  should  fail,  nor  were  his  ears  filled  with  wax 
lest  they  should  be  charmed  by  the  singing  of  the 
sirens.  The  only  music  that  we  heard  was  the 
screaming  of  a  locomotive  from  the  shores,  and 
that  has  little  "power  to  charm  the  savage"  tourist. 
The  green  shores  on  each  side  were  dotted  with 
white  houses  clustered  in  villages  and  cities.  But 
lest  of  all  was  the  snowy  summit  of  Mount  Etna 
The  sun  was  rising  as  we  passed,  and  both  snows 
and  clouds  were  glorified.  All  the  morning  as  we 
steamed  out  to  sea  this  mountain  could  be  seen ;  and 
at  noon,  when  every  other  object  had  faded  from 
sight,  its  shining  peak  still  floated  on  the  horizon 
miles  and  miles  away.     Then,  as  Homer  says, 

"Past  sight  of  shore,  along  the  surge  we  bound, 
And  all  above  is  sky,  and  ocean  all  around." 

By  noon  next  day  we  sighted  Crete;  but  we 
neither  see  warships  nor  smell  gunpowder,  for  war 
is  at  the  north,  while  we  are  coasting  the  southern 
shores.  But  we  are  not  disappointed,  for  we  are 
sailing  the  very  seas  in  which  Paul  was  shipwrecked. 
Can  you  imagine  the  fascination  of  reading  the 
27th  chapter  of  Acts  when  you  have  only  to  raise 
your  eyes  to  behold  the  very  places  mentioned? 
Away  ahead  is  the  site  of  Fair  Havens,  from  which, 
contrary  to  the  advice  of  Paul,  they  sailed  "when 
the  south  wind  blew  softly."  Yonder  is  Phenice, 
"an  haven  of  Crete,"  where  Pnil  wished  them  to 
winter.     On  these  very  waters    the    tempestuous 


REMINDERS  OF  ST.  PAUL  41 

wind  swept  down  upon  them,  so  that  they  could  not 
manage  the  ship,  but  had  to  "let  her  drive."    Now 
we  are  just  abreast  of  Clauda,  and  when  we  see  that 
gravel   bank,   1,000  feet  in  height,  giving  perfect 
shelter  from  a  northeast  wind,  we  can  readily  un- 
derstand why  they  ran  "under  a  ceitain  isknd  which 
IS  called  Cauda,"  where  they  undergirded  the  ship; 
and  when  we  see  the  treacherous  sandy  shores,  a 
new  meaning  comes  into  those  words,  "and,  fearing 
lest  they  should  fall  into  the  quicksands  they  strake 
sail  and  so  were  driven."    With  all  these  scenes  be- 
fore us  we  are  deeply  impressed  with  the  minute  ac- 
curacy of  Luke's  account.  What  a  fearful  storm  that 
must  have  been  that  tossed  them  foi  fourteen  days 
upon  the  deep  and  then,  in  accordance  with  Paul's 
prophecy,  "we  must  be  cast  upon  a  certain  island  " 
tossed  them  upon  that  island  which  we  now  call 
Malta.    But  the  skies  and  seas  were  sunny  and  blue 
as  we  sailed  along.    Perhaps 

"Some  angel  calmed  the  air  and  smoothed  the  deep 
Hushed  the  loud  winds,  and  charmed  the  winds  to 
sleep." 

Soon  the  sun  sinks  do  ni  behind  these  sacred 
isles,  and,  with  our  hearts  filled  with  gratitude  to 
God  for  his  Word  and  his  care,  we  journey  onward 
toward  still  more  sacred  scenes. 

Paul  wrote  more  about  the  resurrection  than  d'"d 
any  other  New  Testament  writer.  It  seemed  pe- 
culiarly fitting,  therefore,  that  we  should  spend 
Easter  Sunday  but  a  few  miles  from  his  old  home 


42 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


at  Tarsus,  and  not  far  from  Antioch,  whose  church 
he  served  as  pastor  and  as  missionary.  We  were 
quietly  anchored  in  Alexandretta  Bay.  In  the  a  'ly 
morning  I  vv3s  greeted  with  the  Greek  salutation: 
"The  Lord  is  risen!"  and  replied  in  the  Greek  re- 
sponse: "The  Lord  is  risen  indeed."  No  Christian 
church  was  near  us,  though  we  were  so  near  the 
city  where  once  stood  one  of  the  most  famous 
churches  of  early  Christianity.  We  were  beyond 
the  sound  of  anthems,  the  surge  of  crowds,  or  the 
smell  of  incense.  But  no  cathedral  splendor  could 
equal  the  glory  of  those  templed  hills  which  rose 
toward  heaven  around  about  us ;  no  vaulted  dome 
could  compare  with  the  cloudless  expanse  of  sky 
that  spread  above ;  no  floors  of  marble  or  mosaic 
could  be  as  beauteous  as  that  blue  sea  set  with  spark- 
ling gems  of  sunshine ;  no  human  altars  decked  with 
cloths  of  gold  and  lit  by  swinging  lamps  could  com- 
pare with  God's  grand  altar  of  the  mighty  moun- 
tains, spread  with  its  cloth  of  spotless  snows  and 
lit  by  the  swinging  orb  of  day.  Wc  were  in  God's 
own  temple  and  we  tried  to  worship  him  in  the 
beauty  of  holiness. 

We  looked  longingly  toward  the  mountains  and 
would  gladly  have  crossed  them  to  Tarsus,  though 
it  is  described  as  "a  small  and  dirty  town,"  with 
10,000  inhabitants,  lying  in  a  damp,  unhealthful 
plain.  But  it  shall  be  famous  forever  as  the  birth- 
place of  Paul. 

Antioch,  in  the  opposite  direction,  lies  in  the 
beautiful  and  fertile  plain  of  the  Orontes.     In  Paitl's 


REMINDERS  OF  ST.  PAUL 


43 


time  it  was  a  magnificent  ci.y,  with  walls  so  thick 
that  a  four-horse  chariot  could  be  driven  along  their 
top.  But  even  this  wall  is  now  in  ruins,  and  the 
town  consists  of  dreary  heaps  of  ruins,  with  un- 
sightly houses  and  dirty  streets,  abounding  in  rub- 
bish and  garbage.  Nothing  now  remains  to  remind 
one  of  Paul's  labors.  No  evangelical  Christians  are 
in  Antioch  today,  though  "the  disciples  were  first 
called  Christians  at  Antioch." 

We  traveled  the  very  road  along  which  Saul 
must  have  journeyed  when  he  went  from  Jerusa- 
lem to  Damascus  "breathing  out  threatenings  and 
slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord."  It 
is  a  hard  journey  across  barren  hills,  along  rough 
ways,  through  fertile  valleys,  over  the  snowy 
shoulder  of  Mount  Hermon,  and  then  along  the 
sandy  heated  desert  of  the  plain.  We  were  al- 
most overcome  by  the  heat  when  we  came  to  the 
place  of  Saul's  conversion.  It  is  merely  a  knoll 
in  the  vast  plain,  three  hours'  ride  from  Damas- 
cus. We  were  almost  smitten  with  blindness  our- 
selves by  the  intense  glare  of  the  Syrian  sun  upon 
the  nds.  This  lonely  spot,  unhonored  by  church 
or  monument,  marks  the  place  where  occurred  one 
of  the  greatest  events  in  the  history  of  the  Chris- 
tian church. 

In  Damascus,  a  city  so  beautiful  in  comparison 
with  the  surrounding  desert  that  one  has  called  it 
"an  island  of  pearls  and  opals  set  in  a  sea  of  em- 
eralds," we  found  the  house  of  Ananias,  the  "cer- 
tain disciple"  whom  God  sent  to  open  Saul's  eyes. 


44 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


i 


Entering  it  vvc  found  ourselves  in  a  paved  court 
with  flowing  fountain  and  growing  flowers.  As  we 
passed  down  into  a  dark  chamber  fitted  up  as  a 
miniature  church,  they  showed  us  part  of  the  "or- 
iginal wall."  Here  we  sat  and  read  the  account 
of  the  angel's  annoimccment  to  Ananias.  We 
allowed  ourselves  to  telieve  that  this  was  the  very 
place.  Wlio  knows  ?  Why  may  it  not  have  been 
here? 

"Go  into  the  street  which  is  called  Straight," 
said  the  angel  to  Ananias.  Five  minutes'  walk 
down  an  alley  brings  one  to  this  street,  which  is 
called  "Straight"  to  this  day.  It  runs  for  a  mile 
through  the  center  of  the  city,  dividing  the 
Christian  from  the  Mohammedan  quarter.  Small 
shops  line  each  side.  So  narrow  is  it  that  we 
wondered  as  we  drove  along  what  we  should  do  if 
another  carriage  should  meet  us.  This  street  is 
not  as  straight  as  its  name  implies.  Mark  Twain 
described  it  as  "straighter  than  a  corkscrew,  but 
not  as  straight  as  a  rainbow." 

We  went  also  to  the  part  of  the  wall  which  has 
been  pointed  out  from  time  immemorial  as  the 
place  whence  Paul  was  let  down  when  he  fled 
from  Damascus.  Many  very  ancient  foundation- 
stones  are  seen  here.  Why  should  not  this  be  the 
very  place?  Christians  have  lived  in  Damascus 
from  Paul's  time  until  the  present,  and  they  would 
hardly  forget  such  a  place.  It  would  be  pointed 
out  from  one  generation  to  another.     One's  faith 


REMINDERS  OF  ST.  PAUL 


45 


in    traditional   sites    increases   rather   than    dimin- 
ishes as  he  travels  through  these  lands. 

On  leaving  Alcxandretta  we  sailed  the  same 
waters  and  saw  the  same  lands  that  were  visited 
by  the  apostle  Paul  on  his  missionary  journeys.  To 
the  south  was  Cyprus,  where.  Elymas  was  smitten 
with  blindness.  VVe  skirted  the  very  coasts  near 
which  the  shipwreck  occurred.  We  visited  Rhodes, 
once  famous  for  its  Colossus.  We  passed  Patmos, 
on  whose  wave-beaten  shores  the  disciples  of  love 
beheld  such  wondrous  things  of  heaven.  We  saw 
the  shores  upon  which  the  Ephesian  elders  knelt 
together  with  Paul  in  their  farewell  prayer,  "sor- 
rowing most  of  all  for  the  words  which  he  spake, 
that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more."  We 
passed  the  ancient  Troas,  where  he  heard  the 
Macedonian  cry:  "Come  over  and  help  us!"  And 
skirting  the  shores  which  he  visited  on  his  way  to 
Philippi  and  Thessalonica,  we  came  to  Athens 
even  as  did  he. 

Part  of  a  Sunday  afternoon  I  spent  upon  Mars' 
Hill.  Like  Calvary,  it  is  little  more  than  a  great 
rock,  sprinkled  with  soil,  upon  which  grow  a  few 
grasses  and  flowers.  An  ancient  stairway  hewn  in 
one  side  leads  to  the  summit.  As  one  sits  there 
and  reads  the  account  of  Paul's  sermon,  all  the 
surroundings  correspond  with  the  record.  But  a 
few  rods  away  workmen  have  unearthed  "the 
market  place"  of  the  old  city.  The  stone  founda- 
tions and  mud  walls  of  the  houses,  with  the 
stone-paved     streets     along     which     the     apostle 


Il 


i 


4lS  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

walked,  may  be  seen  today.  From  this  market 
place  they  brought  Paul  to  Mars'  Hill,  the  near- 
est retired  spot  and  the  place  where  they  were  ac- 
customed to  meet.  He  stood  "in  the  midst  of 
Mars'  Hill."  I  believe  I  stood  on  the  very  spot. 
There  is  a  platform  of  rock  before  which  is  a  level 
place  where  two  people  could  easily  sit.  With  his 
audience  before  him  Paul  pointed  toward  the  tem- 
ples that  rose  all  around,  and  said :  "I  iK'rceive  that 
in  all  things  ye  arc  very  religious."  Well  might 
he  say  'o,  for  Mars'  Hill  was  surrounded  with 
temples  which  are  nov/  in  ruins,  but  which  were 
then  filled  with  worshipers.  Below  him  was  the 
beautiful  Temple  of  Theseus.  Above  was  the 
Acropolis,  with  its  Parthenon  of  marble,  which  has 
been  a  model  to  architects  throughout  the  ages. 
To  the  left  was  the  Temple  of  Jupiter,  with  its 
massive  marble  pillars.  Everywhere  were  heath- 
en temples ;  but  the  Greeks  knew  not  the  true  God. 
Here  Paul  stood,  here  he  was  mocked  and  re- 
pulsed, here  he  gave  his  deathless  witness  to  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus. 

For  years  Paul  had  longed  "to  preach  the  gos- 
pel in  Rome  also,"  and  at  last  God  granted  him 
the  desire  of  his  heart.  While  in  Rome  we  drove 
out  the  Appian  Way,  as  did  "the  heathen"  who 
went  to  meet  Paul  as  he  came  in  chains  toward  the 
eternal  city,  and  of  whom  we  read  that  "when 
Paul  saw  them  he  thanked  God  and  took  cour- 
age." Greatly  did  he  need  that  courage  if  the 
old  tradition  is  true  that  he  was  afterwards  cast 


REMIXnFRS  r      ST.   PAUL 


47 


into  the  Mamortinc  Prison.  A.s  we  entered  the 
doors  of  this  dungeon  we  saw  these  words  carved 
in  stone: 

"INGRESSUS    CARCERUM 

SS.    .M'OSTOL 

PETRI    ET    I'.AULI." 

The  prison  consists  of  two  rooms,  one  directly 
over  the  other.  The  upper  is  the  larger  and  hkc 
ihe  other  has  no  entrance  except  tlie  square  hole 
at  the  top.  Here  the  prisoner  was  kept  until  near 
the  time  of  execution.  Then  through  a  small  hole 
in  the  floor  he  was  lowered  into  the  deeper  dun- 
geon, where  he  was  starved  or  beheaded.  So  low- 
was  this  room  that  I  could  not  stand  uj)right  in  it. 
The  well  in  the  center  makes  it  very  damp.  .Abso- 
lutely no  light  could  reach  cither  cell.  O  Paul, 
thou  man  of  God,  was  this  indeed  the  place  where 
thou  didst  endure  "imprisonment  and  bonds"? 
Truly,  nothing  should  "separate  us  from  the  love 
of  Christ"  if  thou  didst  suffer  this! 

The  traditional  place  of  Paul's  tomb  is  as  beau- 
tiful as  his  prison  is  vile.  A  mile  or  so  outside 
the  city  walls,  so  goes  the  story,  a  famous  cardinal, 
while  making  excavations,  found  a  rock  tomb  at 
a  depth  of  thirty  feet,  in  which  was  a  sarcophagus 
of  the  fourth  century  marked  with  the  name  of 
St.  Paul.  We  know  that  it  was  a  Roman  law  that 
the  first  petitioner  asking  for  the  body  of  an  exe- 
cuted criminal  should  receive  it.  Tradition  says 
that  a   Roman    matron   named   Lucina   asked    for 


t  i 


48 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


Paul's  remains  and  buried  them  here.  During  the 
years  of  persecution  the  secret  of  the  burial  place 
was  sacredly  kept  by  the  Christians.  But  in  the 
fourth  century  the  place  was  shown,  and  a  church 
was  erected  there.  The  remains  of  this  ancient 
church  may  be  seen  today. 

In   modern   times     a    magnificent   building  has 
been  erected  over  this  sacred  place.     It  is  known 
as  "St.  Paul's  without  the  Walls."    Its  interior  of 
polished  marble  and  alabaster  is  chastely  beauti- 
ful   beyond    anything   we   have    seen.     Just   over 
the  shining  pillars  are  a  series  of  oil  paintings  il- 
lustrating the  chief  events  in  the  life  of  Paul.    No 
worshipers  throng  this  building.      No  chairs  are 
on  its  shining  floors.     It  is  really  a  costly  monu- 
ment to  him  who  at  the  close  of  life  could  say: 
"I  have  fought  the  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my 
course,  I  have  kept  the  faith."    Beneath  this  beau- 
tiful building,  let  us  believe,  lies  the  dust  of  one 
who  bore  much  for  the  nanw-  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and   who  now  wears    the   promised    "Crown    of 
righteousness"  which  is  the  martyr's  rich  and  am- 
ple reward. 


r  I 


I 


'■:mmi:.^^imik^m'-i^M^ 


.M^^^^mi 


] 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  TREASURES  OF  EGYPT 
In    Moses'   day   Eg>pt   was   the  treasf re-house 
of  the  world;  and  at  the  present  time,  while  much 
of  Its  old-time  glory  has  departed,  this  curious  coun- 
try contams  treasures  which  we  all  would  like  to 
see  and  which  attract  thousands  of  tourists  every 
year.     There  is  that  great  natural  treasure,  the  Nile 
overflowing  its  banks  and  fertilizing  thousands  of 
acres  of  soil  each  year;  its  own  banks  fringed  with 
graceful  palms,  while  its  waters  cause  the  desert 
to  "rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose."     There  are 
the  treasures  of  architecture;  the  pyramids  rising 
sublime  and  grand,  the  awe  of  all  observers  and 
seemmg  m  their  greatness  the  work  of  gods  rather 
than  of  men ;  the  sphinx,  whose  impassive  face  has 
looked  across  the  desert  sands  watching  the  rise  and 
fall  of  empires  for  countless  ages,  a  monument  to 
which  "a  thousand  years  are  as  one  day  and  one 
day  as  a  thousand  years ;"  and  the  tombs  and  tem- 
ples m  whose  fallen  columns  and  massive  stones  we 
read  the  glory  of  Egypt's  golden  age.     These  are 
the  treasures  of  history,  for  go  back  as  far  as  you 
will  in  the  history  of  civilization,  so  far  back  that 
other  lands  are  still  shrouded  in  darkness,  and  you 
will  find  mighty  empires  flourishing  upon  the  banks 

49 


a, 


$   1! 


50  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

of  the  Nile.  We  think  of  Abraham  as  standing  in 
the  dawn  of  history ;  bnt  the  same  sun  that  shone 
upon  Abraham  when  he  went  out  from  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees  driving  his  flocks  and  herds  smdcd  that 
same  day  upon  the  temples  and  cities  and  civiliza- 
tions of  Egypt. 

Leaving  behind  us  those  "historical  seas  through 
which  we  had  been  passing,  we  sailed  southward 
across  the  Mediterranean  to  Port  Said,  and  soon 
were  on  board  the  train,  speeding  along  the  banks 
of  the  Suez  Canal  toward  Cairo. 

Our  route  first  of  all  brought  us  across  a  scorch- 
ing desert,  and  then  led  us  through  the  land  of 
Goshen,  one  of  the  most  fertile  regions  on  earth, 
where  green  fields  stretch  as  far  as  the  eye  cnn 
reach,  and  groves  of  graceful  palms  are  mirrored  in 
pools  of  water.    What  sights  we  saw  through  the 
car  windows  that  day !    The  countless  beggars  who 
seemed  to  follow  us  all  through  our  trip  met  us 
for  the  first  time  at  Port  Said.  At  every  depot  dork- 
faced  Egyptians  offered  fruits  and  nuts  for  sale.  A 
caravan    of   camels    laden   with    merchandise    and 
driven  bv  turbaned  Arabs  was  starting  out  across 
the  burning  sands  for  the  land  of  Gaza.     Storks 
were  standing  on  one  foot  in  the  swamps.    Crows 
with  white  bodies  sat  complacently  on  the  backs  of 
cattle.  Hundreds  of  people  clad  in  white  were  work- 
ing in  the  field  turning  the  quaint  water-wheels  for 
irrigation,  plowing  or  reaping  or  weeding  or  driv- 
ing donkeys  or  camels  to  market  with  loads  of  pro- 
duce    Here  is  a  Moslem  bowing  in  his  noonday 


THE  TREASURES  OF  EGYPT 


51 


prayer  beside  the  canal,  his  face  toward  Mecca. 
There  is  a  company  of  women  with  water  jars  upon 
their  heads,  wearing  black  robes  and  with  faces  so 
closely  veiled  in  black  that  only  the  eyes  are  seen. 
Yonder  in  the  field  is  a  man  plowing  with  a 
tall  camel  and  a  tiny  donkey  hitched  side  by 
side  to  his  wooden  plow.  Freqently  we  pass  vil- 
lages of  dirty  mud-huts,  dirtier  streets,  and  swarms 
of  half-clad  children  who  are  dirtier  still,  villages 
from  which  arise  a  fragrance  more  strong  than  wel- 
come, so  that  we  are  glad  when  they  are  left  behind 
and  we  plunge  again  into  groves  of  oranges  or 
palms.  But  now  the  word  is  passed  around  that  the 
pyramids  will  soon  appear.  We  c-owd  to  the  win- 
dows, and  there  sure  enough  they  are,  their  sharp 
points  arising  on  the  western  horizon  clear  against 
the  sky.  V/e  are  actually  in  the  land  of  the  Phar- 
aohs. In  a  moment  "Cairo"  is  called.  We  catch  a 
glimpse  of  snowy  houses,  of  avenues  of  trees,  of 
countless  mosques  and  minarets;  then  our  train 
stops,  we  step  into  the  carriages  that  are  waiting, 
and  driving  through  streets  more  wonderful  than  a 
dream  we  are  soon  safely  located  in  the  luxurious 
"Continental  Hotel." 

Cairo  is  said  by  many  to  be  the  most  fascinating 
city  in  the  world.  The  Bible  student  especially  de- 
lights to  search  out  the  places  which  are  connected 
with  sacred  history.  One  of  the  first  things  we 
saw  was  the  traditionary  site  of  the  finding  of  Moses 
in  the  bulrush  ark.  There  is  now  no  river  bank 
covered  with  reeds,  for  the  spot  is  within  the  limits 


ISi^ 


52  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

of  Cairo,  and  a  wall  of  solid  masonry  rises  from 
the  water's  edge.    We  stood  at  the  top  and  looked 
down  into  the  muddy  waters  of  the  river  and  won- 
dered if  that  was  indeed  the  place.    A  Cyprus  tree 
grows  out  of  the  wall,  and  we  broke  off  some  of  its 
sprays  as  souvenirs.    We  went  to  ruined  On,  from 
which  Joseph  married  his  wife,  and  where  stood  one 
of  the  greatest  universities  of  ancient  times.    Smce 
this  institution  was  under  royal  patronage,  here  it 
was  undoubtedly  that  Moses,  the  adopted  son  of 
the  royal  family,  would  receive  his  education.    We 
visited  this  city  of  Heliopolis.  Nothing  now  remains 
but  a  mound  spread  across  the  plain  and  an  obeUsk 
of  granite  standing  solitary  in  a  field  of  grain,  point- 
ing like  a  finger  toward  the  sun,  to  whose  worship  it 
was  sacred.    In  the  inscription  upon  it  we  find  the 
name  of  a  king  who  lived  over  2.000  years  before 
Christ.     This   obelisk  stood  here  in   the  days  of 
Moses ;  it  witnessed  the  rise  and  fall  of  many  Eg>'p- 
tian  kingdoms ;  it  was  there  in  the  darkness  of  that 
night  when  the  death  angel  entered  so  many  homes ; 
it  saw  the  plagues  which  came  upon  Egypt  and  the 
long  line  of  Israelites  when  at  last  they  marched 
away  with  their  cattle  and  little  ones.     For  aught 
we  know,  it  may  stand  there  till  it  is  swallowed  up 
in  the  catastrophe  in  which  the  earth  itself  shall 
perish.    It  stands  solitary  now,  but  in  Moses'  day  it 
stood  before  the  marble  temple  of  a  cultured  city. 
We  rode  also  to  the  "Tree  of  the  \'irgin,"  in  which 
Marv  is  said  to  have  hid  the  child  while  a  spider 
spun  his  web  over  the  mouth  of  the  entrance  so  that 


i   i 


THE  TREASURES  OF  EGYPT 


53 


his  enemies  found  him  not.  Another  tradition  says 
witli  more  plausibility  that  Mary  rested  here  with 
the  holy  child.  May  it  not  indeed  be  so?  Passing 
by  these  treasures  of  sacred  history,  let  us  return 
to  Cairo  itself. 

Cairo  impressed  me  as  one  of  the  most  charming 
and  best  governed  cities  I  had  ever  seen.  The 
British  occupation  has  been  the  salvation  of  Egypt. 
Every  civilized  power  shoukl  thank  them  for  bring- 
ing order  out  of  chaos,  and  establishing  law  in  place 
of  license  even  though  in  so  doing  they  have  added 
another  province  to  the  British  empire.  I  would 
like  to  take  you  for  a  walk  through  Cairo.  Leaving 
our  hotel  we  go  down  the  broad  leafy  avenue,  past 
grand  palaces  with  richly  dressed  servants  stand- 
ing at  the  doors,  past  groups  of  donkey  boys  at 
the  corners  with  these  little  long-eared  beasts  which 
are  used  in  that  strange  land  as  commonly  as  we 
use  bicycles  here,  past  crowds  of  people  in  eastern 
costumes,  the  men  with  flowing  robes,  the  women 
with  veiled  faces,  till  we  come  to  narrower  streets 
with  strange  windows  projecting  from  the  second 
story  screened  with  lattice  work  through  which  the 
dark-eyed  beauties  of  the  harem  may  peer  without 
being  seen  by  the  passer-by.  Do  you  hear  that  buz- 
zing sound?  It  is  a  Mohammedan  school.  Stand 
in  this  open  doorway  and  look  in  upon  them.  A 
score  of  children,  sitting  on  grass  mats  spread  upon 
the  floor,  are  busy  studying  the  Koran.  The  custom 
is  for  all  to  study  aloud.  So  there  they  sit,  sway- 
ing their  bodies  to  and  fro,  mindless  of  the  flies  that 


54 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


gather  in  swarms  upon  their  faces;  they  study  on 
in  that  dismal  monotone  as  though  their  soul's  sal- 
vation depended  upon  the  mastery  of  their  lesson. 
Come  now  to  the  famous  Mohammedan  University. 
It  is  in  the  mosque  at  El  Azar.     There  were  lO,- 
ooo  students  here  a  few  years  ago.    It  is  the  largest 
Mohammedan  school  in  the  world.     As  we  enter, 
the  frowning  priests  compel  us  to  place  large  slip- 
pers over  our  shoes  lest  the  dust  of  our  feet  defile 
their  holy  place.     In  the  open  court  are  hundreds 
of  young  men,  sitting  in  circles  upon  the  pavement 
in  groups  of  ten  or  twelve,  all  of  them  studying 
aloud  or  reciting  to  their  teachers.    Their  one  text- 
book is  the  Koran,  and  many  of  them  learn  to  re- 
peat it  all  by  heart  before  they  leave  that  school. 
Comparing  this  "university"  with  the  universities 
of  Christian  lands  we  pass  out  to  the  bazaars.  These 
are  the  business  portions  of  the  city.    The  streets  are 
crowded  with  humanity  and  lined  with  tiny  stores 
without  doors  or  windows,  but  entirely  open  at  the 
front  and  filled  with  all  those  trinkets  of  gold  and 
silver     and     countless     fabrics    most     beautifully 
wrought  by  the  women  of  the  harem,  those  charm- 
ing knick-knacks   that  delight  ladies'  hearts;  and 
other  stores  filled  with  antique  weapons,  wood  carv- 
ings, things  wrought  in  brass  and  iron,  and  souvenirs 
of  every  description  so  attractive  that  these  bazaars 
become  an   enchanted   land   through   which    none 
may  pass  without  paying  tribute.    By  the  time  we 
leave  it  is  the  evening  hour,  and  as  we  pass  out 
into  the  streets  a  strange  unearthly  sound  comes 


THE  TREASURES  OF  EGYPT 


55 


'4 

'-2 

i 


floating  to  our  ears.  Looking  upward  we  see  a 
dark-robed  figure  far,  far,  up  in  the  minaret  of  the 
mosque ;  it  is  the  mu-ezzin  giving  the  evening  call  to 
prayer.  Four  times  a  day  is  this  call  given,  and 
all  faithful  Moslems  are  supposed  to  obey  its  sum- 
mons. Peek  into  yonder  mosque  as  you  pass  and 
you  will  see  a  multitude  of  men  with  washed  hands 
and  shoeless  feet  prostrating  themselves  in  prayer 
toward  Mecca  and  bowing  time  and  time  again 
till  their  foreheads  touch  the  floor.  One  cannot  but 
admire  them  for  the  sincerity  of  their  devotion.  But 
the  darkness  is  gathering,  and  we  must  hasten  to 
the  citadel,  for  I  wish  that  you  should  look  down 
upon  this  city  at  the  sunset  hour.  Imagine  yourself 
standing  there  with  the  city  spread  before  you.  Be- 
hold that  scene  of  mingled  emerald  and  white  with 
the  shapely  domes  and  graceful  minarets  of  more 
than  2,ooo  mosques  arising  everywhere.  That  stream 
of  silver  is  the  river  Nile,  while  away  yonder  beyond 
those  fringing  groves  of  palm  are  the  pyramids  and 
the  stony  Sphinx.  Still  farther  off  is  the  desert,  a 
sea  of  sand  around  as  beautiful  an  isle  as  ever  mor- 
tal saw.  Everything  is  softened  now  by  the  tints  of 
the  twilight,  and  reluctantly  we  return.  Our  walk 
through  Cairo  is  over. 

Of  course  we  visited  the  Pyramids  of  Gizeh. 
Driving  out  we  passed  hundreds  of  camels  going 
to  and  fro  from  the  markets  Soon  we  were  met 
by  the  Sheik  of  the  pyramids,  a  typical  Arab 
mounted  on  a  beautiful  Arabian  steed  and  clad  in 
tlie  flowing  garb  of  the  East,  who  kept  galloping 


56 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


li 


;ii 


7^1 


to  and  fro  along  the  line  of  carriages  as  he  guided 
us  down  the  long  straight  avenue,  shaded  with 
trees,  that  stretched  for  seven  miles  from  Cairo  to 
the  pyramids.  One  experiences  no  surprise  what- 
ever on  seeing  the  pyramids.  We  have  heard  and 
read  of  them  so  much,  above  all  have  seen  so  many 
pictures  of  them,  that  we  know  exactly  what  they 
are.  But  we  were  surprised  at  the  crowds  of 
Arabs  that  surrounded  us  the  moment  we  left  our 
carriages.  Some  of  them  had  curios,  some  camels, 
some  donkeys,  all  of  them  were  gesticulating  and 
shouting  bad  English  and  trying  in  every  way 
to  induce  us  to  buy  or  hire.  It  was  a  perfect  Bed- 
lam. Our  guide  chased  them  away,  beating  them 
unmercifully  with  his  whip,  but  they  returned 
like  a  pack  of  wolves.  Finally  I  mounted  a  camel 
and  with  the  others  upon  camels  and  donkeys  we 
went  out  across  the  sands  to  the  Sphinx,  in  the 
shadow  of  whose  stony  face  we  sat  to  have  our 
pictures  taken,  and  then  to  the  great  pyramid, 
my  camel  racing  with  another,  to  the  great  amuse- 
ment of  the  party  and  the  imminent  peril  of  my 
neck.  We  tried  in  vain  to  find  a  shady  place.  It 
seemed  as  though  all  the  heat  of  all  the  ages  was 
concentrated  at  that  pyramid.  Like  the  Lotus 
Eater  wc  sat  us  down  upon  the  yellow  sand  and 
ate  our  lunch  and  talked  about  climbing  the  pyr- 
amid, but  when  we  gazed  up  at  that  dizzy  height 
upon  which  the  sun  beat  so  unmenifully,  our 
hearts  failed  us.  A  few  of  us  went  to  the  heart 
of  the  pyramid.    With  a  sweating  Arab  ahead  and 


THE  TREASURES  OF  EGYPT 


57 


another  fjehind  holding  us  by  the  hands,  we  went 
down  into  those  sweltering  dusty  passageways,  so 
low  and  narrow  that  we  had  to  crawl  upon  our 
hands  and  knees,  so  hot  that  it  seemed  as  though 
no  breath  of  fresh  air  had  entered  since  the  day 
that  Pharaoh  was  buried  there.  My  head  swam, 
my  eyesight  failed  me  so  that  I  could  scarcely  see 
the  flickering  tapers,  a  thousand  infernal  sounds 
assailed  my  ears,  I  almost  fainted  in  the  Arab's 
arms.  But  they  pushed  and  pulled  and  shouted 
till  at  last  we  reached  the  chambers  in  which  the 
king  and  queen  were  buried.  These  chambers  are 
now  but  empty  tombs.  Long  ago  they  were 
robbed  of  all  the  granite  coffins  in  which  the  royal 
remains  were  laid.  "Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is 
vanity."  The  Pharaoh  may  build  for  himself  a 
mountain  of  stone,  but  his  body  may  not  rest  in 
peace.  Rather  would  I  sleep  beneath  the  green- 
sward of  a  country  cemetery,  than  in  these  sunless 
pyramids  of  stone. 

The  one  sad  event  of  our  journey  occurred  in 
Eg\'pt.  One  of  the  members  of  our  party  died  in 
our  hotel  in  Cairo.  Cablegrams  were  sent  to  his 
friends  in  America  but  it  was  our  sad  lot  to  bury 
him  in  Egypt.  The  majority  of  the  party  were 
driven  to  the  American  cemetery,  where  after  ap- 
propriate services  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest 
beneath  the  spreading  acacias.  We  will  try  to  for- 
get the  dust,  the  heat,  the  flies,  the  desert,  the 
mistakes  and  discords  of  the  Arab  attendants,  and 
remember  only   the   tender  address  and  touching 


■;>»»»tft'»»->af^.i^  •■ 


M 

H       ) 

If'  i 

'i 

58 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


prayer.     Never  can  we  forget  our  feelings  as  we 
stood  with  uncovered  heads  around  the  grave  in 
that  sandy  cemetery,  each  thinking  that  it  would 
have  been   the  same  had   God  called   him   rather 
than  Prof.  Eaton.  We  realized  but  too  vividly  how 
far  we   were   from  home.     The  grave  had  been 
dug    through    sands    that    were    filled    with    the 
debris  of  ancient  civilizations,  and  as   we  buried 
him  there  in  sight  of  the  pyramids,   with  not   a 
blade  of  grass  nor  a  single  flower  to  relieve  the 
desert  sand,  I  read  these  words  upon  the  tomb  of 
a  missionary  near  by,  "I  will  give  thee  a  crown 
of  life,"  and    I  thought  I  would    rather    be  the 
humblest  Christian  who  sleeps  beneath  these  sands 
than  the  Pharaoh  himself  in  yonder  pyramid.    On 
the    Professor's    casket    in    German    were    these 
words,  "For  me  to  live  is  Christ,  to  die  is  gain." 
I  bowed  my  head  beneath  those  trees  and  prayed 
most  earnestly  for  his  sorrowing  friends  at  home, 
then  taking  a  spray  of  acacia  as  a  token  of  the 
grave,  we  returned  through  streets  that  knew  no 
Sabbath,    crowded    with    people    who    knew    no 
Christ,  to  our  hotel. 

The  pleasantest  day  of  all  was  our  day  on  the  river 
Nile.  In  a  little  steamer  we  sailed  up  the  muddy 
river,  past  the  traditional  hiding  place  of  Moses, 
past  the  curious  Nile-boats,  past  the  ancient  quar- 
ries, past  miserable  Egyptian  villages,  till  we  came 
to  the  landing  place,  where  we  were  besieged  by  a 
screaming  crowd  of  dcnkey-boys  each  eager  to  se- 
cure some  one  to  ride  his  beast.     It  seemed  as 


>^^K. 


m^ 


THE  TREASURES  OF  EGYPT 


59 


though  all  the  dust  in  creation,  all  the  donkey-boys 
in  the  world  and  every  donkey  that  had  ever  been 
born  was   there.     Amid  boundless   merriment   we 
mount.     My  donkey  was  called  "Yankee  Doodle," 
and   my  donkey-hoy  "Abraham."     What  a  com- 
bination  of  ancient   and    modem!     Never   did    I 
expect  to  have  Abraham  twist  my  donkey's  tail 
and  run  ten  miles  behind  me.    Gaily  we  ride  along 
through  groves  of  date-palms  and  villages  of  mud 
huts  from  which  swarms  of  children  stretch  forth 
their  hands  and  cry  "Backsheesh!     Backsheesh!" 
I  wish  you  could  have  seen  us  as  we  jogged  along, 
our    donkeys'    feet    clattering,    their    chains    jing- 
ling, the  boys    shouting,    ourselves    laughing,  the 
dust    arising;    "Ah-h-h !"    cry    the    donkey-boys, 
thwak!  go  the  sticks  as  old  and  young,   fat  and 
lean,  male    and  female,    go  galloping    across    the 
plain  to  the  colossal  statues  of  Rameses,  of  solid 
granite,    prone    upon    their     backs     beneath    the 
palms.    So  we  come  to  ancient  Memphis,  once  said 
to  be  the  most  beautiful   city  in   the   world,   but 
now  nothing  but  ruins  of  baked  mud  half  dried  in 
the  sand;  to  Sakkarah  with  its  famous  step-pyra- 
mid, the  most  ancient  monument  on  earth ;  to  the 
underground  tombs  of  Merah  and  Ti,  kings  that 
lived  thousands  of  years  ago;  and  to  the  gigantic 
tombs  of  the  bulls  where  we  saw  coffins  of  solid 
granite  that  weighed  65  tons.    All  these  things  we 
saw  in  the  midst  of  the  most  desolate  of  deserts, 
and  were  not  sorry  when  our  ten  mile  ride  was 
over,  and  we  were  again  upon  our  little  ship,  a 


fP 


6o 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


it  I 
1  ] 


•'    i 


sorer  and  a  soberer  crowd.  Xever  shall  we  forget 
the  sail  down  the  Nile  and  the  setting  of  the  sun 
behind  the  pyramids  of  Gizeh.  All  declared  that  it 
was  the  most  glorious  sunset  they  had  ever  seen. 
Imagine  the  rippling  river,  the  white-winged 
boats,  the  groves  of  graceful  palms,  the  light 
green  of  the  fields,  the  deep  purple  of  the  hills,  the 
sun-stained  skies,  and  the  sun  itself  sinking  to  rest 
behind  the  pyramids,  and  painting  river  and  desert 
and  sky  with  glory.  God  was  leatling  us  through 
his  own  art  gallery.  How  restful  it  was  after  the 
heat  and  dust  of  our  ride, 

"And   I   smiled  to  think  God's  greatness 
Flows  round  our  incompleteness — 
Round  our  restlessness  his  rest." 

The  pyramids  at  this  hour  were  sublime.  They 
impressed  me  more  than  when  I  rested  in  their 
very  shadows.  What  strength,  what  greatness, 
what  eternity !  They  seemed  worthy  of  od  him- 
seJf,  What  aspiration,  too!  For  are  not  those  tow- 
ering summits  the  incarnation  in  stone  of  the 
Egyptians'  seeking  after  God  if  perchance  they 
might  find  him?  Sikncc  rested  down  upon  our 
company,  and  for  some  reason  we  could  scarce 
keep  back  the  tears.  God  came  and  talked  to  us 
face  to  face. 


il 


CHAPTER  V 
FIRST  GLIMPSES  OF  IMMANUEL'S  LAND 

"In  those  holy  fields. 
Over  whose  acres  walked  those  blessed  feet 
IVhich  fourteen  hunared  years  ago  were  nailed 
For  our  advantage  on  the  bitter  cross." 

— Shakespeare. 

As  a  mother  lavishes  upon  her  child  many  a  pet 
name,  so  the  Jews  gave  to  their  beloved  land  many 
a  charming  title.  To  them  it  was  the  "Land  of 
Promise,"  the  land  "called  Canaan,"  the  "Pleasant 
Land,"  the  land  "flowing  with  milk  and  honey," 
the  "Glorious  Land,"  the  "Koly  Land,"  the  "Lord's 
Land,"  "Beulah  Land,"  and  perhaps  the  most  beau- 
tiful name  of  all  is  that  of  "Immanuel's  Land."  It 
is  my  pleasant  task  to  describe  to  you  that  land  as 
I  saw  it  a  few  months  ago. 

For  two  long  days  we  were  detained  at  anchor 
in  Alexandria  Bay  by  a  storm  that  raged  so  fierce- 
ly that  the  Egyptian  government  issued  orders  that 
no  ship,  not  even  the  pilot-boats,  should  leave 
harbor.  Just  outside  the  bay  several  storm-tossed 
ships  were  hovering  about  longing  to  find  shelter 
and  signaling  for  the  pilots,  who  dared  not  venture 
out.  Thankful  enough  were  we  that  cur  ship  was 
inside  the  breakwater,  over  which  the  waves  were 

61 


62 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


l.s 


dashing  with  such  furious  foam  and  thunder;  but 
we  were  more  thankful  still  when  the  storm  abated 
and  we  were  able  to  pursue  our  way  across  the 
yeasty  seas  toward  the  Holy  Land. 

It  was  as  beautiful  a  morning  as  ever  dawned 
when  we  drew  near  to  Jaffa.    In  our  voyage  from 
Egypt  we  had  been  tossed  upon  stormy  billows,  but 
now  the  changeable  sea  was  hushed  into  a  great 
calm,  while  its  waves  were  chanting  God's  praises 
along  the  shores.     The  eastern  skies  were  aflame 
with  a  glory  that  hung  like  a  halo  over  the  blue 
mountain  ranges  of  Immanuel's  Land.     It  is  im- 
possible to  describe  one's  feelings.     If  one  should 
come  back  from  heaven  he  would  not  be  able  to 
describe  his  feelings  when  first  he  looked  upon  the 
Master's  face,  nor  can  one  returned  from  the  Holy 
Land  tell  you  of  the  thoughts  and  sentiments  that 
filled  his  heart  when  first  he  gazed  upon  the  varied 
scenery  of  that  iand  which  hath  been  trodden  by 
his  Master's  feet.    There  it  was,  only  a  few  miles 
from  us,  as  our  ship  plowed  a  furrow  of  glory 
across  those  glassy  seas  ;  there  was  the  city  of  Joppa 
standing  in  its  whiteness  upon  the  terrace  of  reck 
that  rose  from  the  water's  edge ;  there  was  the  plain 
of  the  Philistines,  with  whom  the  Israelites  had  so 
often  fought ;  there  was  the  vale    of    Sharon,  to 
whose  roses  our  Savior  had  been  compared;  be- 
yond were  the  ranges  of  blue  mountains  running 
the   whole  length  of  the  land,   Hermon   with  his 
locks  of  snow  far  to  the  north ;  Ebal  and  Gerizim 
twin  peaks  near  the   center,  and  the  "mountains 


^:mssri^ 


■SSSSlS!^''?!Sa 


GLIMPSES  OF  IMMANUEL'S  LAND     63 

round  about  Jerusalem"  farther  south,  while  thirty 
miles  above  us  Carmel  was  clearly  seen  like  a  crouch- 
ing lion  of  solid  rock,  his  fore  feet  playing  with  the 
waves,  while  his  face  looks  out  across  the  seas.  Here 
was  the  land  we  had  read  of,  and  dreamed  of,  and 
loved  for  years.  This  was  our  first  glimpse  of  the 
Holy  Land,  and  after  the  storm  it  was  as  welcome 
as  must  be  his  first  vision  of  heaven  to  one  who  has 
long  been  tossed  by  the  waves  of  pain  and  death. 

Palestine  is  "the  least  of  all  lands."  It  is  but  140 
miles  long  by  40  miles  broad,  containing  only  about 
12,000  square  miles.  Wisconsin  is  five  times  as 
large  as  Palestine.  Yet  how  crowded  this  little 
land  has  been  with  .historical  events !  Bounded  on 
the  est  by  the  sea  and  on  the  east  by  the  desert, 
it  has  well  been  called  "a  bridge"  between  the  great 
empires  that  L.  to  the  north  and  the  south.  As 
you  may  stand  on  London  Bridge  and  watch  the 
crowds  that  hurry  to  and  fro,  so  you  may  stand 
upon  that  greater  bridge,  Palestine,  and  think  of 
the  countless  multitudes  who  have  moved  to  and 
fro  across  it  through  many  centuries.  What  a 
bridge  this  land  has  been  for  armies!  Up  over  it 
went  the  Pharaohs  to  fight  the  Assyrians;  down 
over  it  came  the  Assyrian  armies  to  conquer  Egypt. 
It  has  trembled  beneath  the  tramp  of  Persian  and 
Babylonian  hosts  as  countless  as  grasshoppers. 
Over  it  swept  the  victorious  troops  of  Alexander 
the  Great.  In  their  turn  the  Roman  legions 
marched  across  it.  Saladin  the  Great  and  his  hosts 
of  fanatics  crossed  this  bridge  between  the  sea  and 


ani3^msiR^»>'30fe^f<s<agicd'ff^r^wi>wi^i^^»s^^ 


64 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


the  desert.  Here  Richard  the  Lion  Hearted  and  his 
Crusaders  of  the  Cross  wrestled  with  the  unbeHev- 
ers.  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  his  French  army 
sought  to  cross  this  bridge,  but  here  he  met  with 
defeat  by  sword  and  plague  and  famine. 

And  what  a  bridge  this  land  has  been  for  mer- 
chandise !  In  Joseph's  time  great  caravans  of  cam- 
els laden  with  merchandise  were  passing  across  it 
from  the  land  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  down  into 
the  land  of  Egypt;  and  those  caravans  have  been 
passing  in  an  almost  unbroken  line  from  that  day  to 
this.  This  "least  of  all  lands"  has  been  little  more 
than  a  bridge;  but  it  has  been  vastly  more  than  a 
bridge  between  the  nations.  It  has  furnished  the 
only  bridge  between  earth  and  heaven,  the  suspen- 
sion bridge  of  salvation,  one  end  of  which  is  an- 
chored on  the  rock  called  Calvary  just  outside  the 
Damascus  gate  of  old  Jerusalem,  while  the  other 
comes  close  to  the  gates  of  that  heavenly  city  whose 
builder  and  maker  is  God.  Least  of  all  the  lands, 
"Immanuel's  Land"  is  the  most  important  of  any 
land  on  earth. 

Palestine  is  a  land  of  great  variety  of  scenery, 
as  might  easily  be  guessed  by  any  reader  oi  the 
Psalmists  and  prophets.  As  you  travel  across  the 
country  from  west  to  east  you  will  cross  a  fertile 
plain,  a  barren  mountain  range  and  a  deep  river  val- 
ley. First  of  all  you  cross  the  lovely  plain  of  Shar- 
on, where  fields  of  wheat  and  barley,  broken  only 
by  orchards  of  olives  and  figs,  stretch  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  see.    All  over  this  plain  a  million  flowers 


mm^^i^UMm^mMW¥MW: 


GLIMPSES  OF  IMMANUEL'S  LAND     65 

are  scattered  in  the  springtime.  Lizards  haunt  all 
the  sunny  banks.  The  air  is  filled  with  bees  and 
butterfl.es  and  with  twittering  of  small  birds  by  day 

th^k  w:th  ghttenng  fireflies.  This  plain  with  its 
palm  trees  and  olive  groves  remmds  one  of  the 
Eg>'ptian  delta.  Here  the  Philistines  had  their 
strongholds  from  whence  they  defied  God's  chosen 
people.  Yonder  .s  Gaza,  their  capital,  whose  gates 
Samson  bore  oflf  upon  his  shoulders,  "bar  and  all." 

when  .iT  pt,  '  ""'  '^^''■""'■^  ^'■^"^ht  a  prisoner 
when  the  Phihstmes  burned  out  his  eyes,  and  here 
he  ground  at  the  mill  of  the  Philistines 

Journeying  eastward  you  next  come  to  the  moun- 
tam  range  that  extends  through  the  center  of  the 
whole  land  from  Dan  to  Beersheba,  a  spiae  of  rock 
almost  as  regular  as  the  backbone  of  a  beast.    As 
you  chmb  these  mountains  you  realize  that  vou  have 
passed  to  another  climate.    Amid  these  lower  hills 
It  was  that  Samson  had  his  home.     As  we  look 
back  upon  the  plain  that  we  have  left,  heavy  with 
harvests   we  recall  how  the  strong  man  burned  the 
gram  that  once  waved  over  these  fields.     Gazing 
around  about  you  no   longer  do  you   behold  the 
lovehness  of  Sharon.    All  around  are  the  bare  hills 
whose  sides  of  rock  protrude  through  the  thin  soil 
and  whose  only  products  are  the  scanty  grass  for 
which   the  flocks  dihgently  seek  and  thf  Alph" 
flowers  that  beautify  C-od's  mountains.     Here  vou 
may  eas.ly  fancy  yourself  in  the  Alps,  not  beca'use 
of  the  glorious  scenery,  for  no  part  of  Palestine  can 


'tel^i; 


•rjd^. 


J 


i^e^^^feiH 


66 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


be  called  gjand,  but  because  of  the  people  and  their 
customs.  The  inhabitants  are  siiepherds.  They 
wear  sheepskin  cloaks  and  live  under  stone  roofs, 
for  sometimes  the  snow  lies  deep  upon  these  moun- 
tains. 

Jourr.  'ving  still  farther  eastward,  we  now  begin 
to  descend  the  eastern  slopes  of  this  range.  Before 
you  know  it  you  are  on  the  hot  desert  among  the 
Bedouin  with  their  tents  of  hair  and  their  scanty 
clothing,  and  in  a  few  hours  you  come  to  the  Jordan 
Valley,  where  you  are  surrounded  by  torrid  heat, 
the  thermometer  often  rising  to  105  degrees  in  the 
shad''. 

Cross  Palestine  anywhere  between  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  and  the  Dead  Sea  and  you  will  find  these 
three  features — the  broad,  fertile  plain  on  the  coast, 
the  backbone  of  limestone  mountains  in  the  center 
and  the  Valley  of  the  Jordan,  which  lies  1,400  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  sea  and  is  one  of  the  hot 
places  of  the  earth.  While  our  Savior  trod  these 
mountains  from  Bethlehem  to  Hermon  and  went  up 
and  down  the  Jordan  Valley  from  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee to  the  Dead  Sea,  apparently  those  "blessed  feet" 
never  walked  across  the  more  beautiful  plain  of 
Sharon  that  slopes  with  its  flowers  and  harvests 
down  to  the  blue  waters  of  the  Mediterranean. 


CHAPTER  VI 

MOUNTAIN-TOP  VIEWS  IN  IMMANUEL'S 

LAND 
"/  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  unto  the  hills." 
Immanuel's  land  has  three  great  natural  divis- 
ions which  have  also  been  provinces.  To  the  south 
there   is    the   province    of   Judea,    with    hills    and 
mountains  that  are  bleak    and    barren    and    bare; 
in   the   center   is   Samaria   with  broad  and   beau- 
tiful valleys;  while  to  the  north  is  Galilee,  with 
hills  clad  in  verdure.     There  are  three  mountain- 
tops  from  which  we  can  get  grand  views  of  the 
provinces,   such   views   as   will  greatly  aid   us   in 
understanding  the  Scriptures,  for  the  Land  is  the 
best  commentary  on  the  Book. 

Come  with  me  first  of  all  to  the  Mount  of 
Olives  and  look  upon  the  land  of  Judea. 
To  the  west  is  Jerusalem,  a  walled  city  built 
upon  a  flat  hilltop.  We  look  down  upon  its 
walls  and  domes  and  massive  gates,  for  the 
Mount  of  Olives  rises  above  the  Holy  City. 
Round  about  Jerusalem  are  deep  gorges,  and  be- 
yond it  rise  the  mountains,  which  shut  out  our 
view  of  the  blue  Mediterranean.  To  the  south  are 
nnmberless  barren  hills,  with  scarcely  a  tree  or  a 
field  or  a  bit  of  verdure,  rolling  away  as  far  as 

07 


«'l 


^Li^trar*^^,!;^*^'* 


68 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


the  eye  can  reach.  To  the  east  the  hills  are  still 
more  steep  and  barren,  their  limestone  rocks  glar- 
ing in  the  heat.  Twenty  miles  over  their  tops  we 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Dead  Sea,  lying  asleep  in 
the  sunshine,  all  unconscious  of  its  beautiful  blue. 
There  also  is  the  Jordan,  like  a  thread  of  silver, 
with  a  touch  of  green  on  either  side.  Northward 
the  landscape  is,  if  possible,  more  barren  still, 
rising  upward  in  countless  rocky  wastes  till  it 
reaches  its  highest  point  in  Mizpah. 

You  have  never  looked  upon  any  landscape  like 
that  which  you  behold  from  the  Mount  of  Olives. 
Oh  the  countless  barren  hills  of  that  howling  wilder- 
ness! What  wonder  that  the  Bible,  which  was 
largely  written  here,  is  filled  with  mountain  scenery 
and  with  glimpses  of  "the  everlasting  hills"?  Oh, 
the  deep  gorges  that  divide  the  hills,  not  gorges  of 
sand,  but  of  rock,  worn  deep  by  the  torrents  that 
tear  down  them  during  the  winter  rains,  but  in  sum- 
mer as  dry  as  a  furnace  and  blistered  with  heat. 
No  rivers  are  here ;  no  streams.  The  prevailing  im- 
pression is  of  hills  and  stone;  the  torrent  beds  are 
filled  with  stone,  the  paths  are  no  better ;  there  are 
heaps  and  heaps  of  stone  gathered  from  the  fields ; 
the  fields  themselves  are  as  stony  still,  while  the 
hillsides  are  so  stony  that  even  the  goats  roam  over 
them  with  difficulty.  Not  a  green  valley  is  to  be 
seen.  The  only  trees  are  the  olive  trees,  of  which 
there  are  a  few  orchards  upon  Olivet  and  around 
Jerusalem,  but  looking  grim  and  scraggly  among  the 
limestone  rocks  "like  an  old  man's  scanty  beard." 


iii  f- 


i^fAi'>: 


'■Afr 


^^^:^'. 


in  JTr-. 


MOUNTAIN  TOP  VIEWS 


69 


This  province  of  Judea  is  and  ever  has  been  a 
land  of  shepherds.  On  almost  every  hillside,  if  you 
look  carefully,  you  can  descry  the  white  sheep  or 
the  black  goats  nibbling  the  scanty  grass  or  wild 
flowers  that  they  may  find  amid  the  rocks,  while 
tiear  them  is  their  shepherd  leaning  upon  his  staff 
as  motionless  as  a  statue,  as  he  gazes  at  the  traveler, 
or  cowering  in  the  shadow  of  some  great  rock  from 
the  merciless  sun.  What  wonder  that  the  Bible  is 
filled  with  shepherds  and  flocks  of  sheep?  Across 
these  hills  the  patriarchs  came  with  their  flocks  and 
herds.  Here  Joseph  and  his  brethren  tended  sheep. 
David  was  a  shepherd-boy  like  yonder"  lad  and  over 
these  very  hills  he  led  his  flocks.  In  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophecies  shepherds  are  constantly  seen. 
Jehovah  was  the  shepherd  of  his  people,  and  they 
were  the  sheep  of  his  pasture.  Christ  himself  was 
the  Good  Shepherd  whose  voice  the  flock  knew. 
When  Jesus  came  the  shepherds  were  the  first  to 
hear  the  angels  sing. 

Yet  this  barren  land  of  Judea,  isolated  from  the 
rest  of  the  world,  "on  the  road  to  nowhere,"  as 
someone  has  said,  has  not  only  produced  many  of 
the  greatest  characters  of  history,  but  has  been  the 
cradle  of  Christianity.  Tliese  hills  which  rise  like 
temples  furnished  the  place  where  man  first  learned 
to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Two-thirds 
of  the  great  characters  of  the  Bible  found  their 
homes  amid  these  hills.  Here  Jesus  himself  was 
born,  in  yonder  river  he  was  baptized,  upon  one  of 
these  mountains  he  was  tempted,  to  this  city  of 


m 


70 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


.;if 


^n 


I  i. 


I  1: 
»  ■ 

i 


Jerusalem,  the  one  religious  city  of  the  world,  he 
came  once  as  King  and  again  as  prisoner;  on  this 
Mount  of  Olives  he  prayed  at  midnight,  and  on 
that  limestone  hill  outside  the  city  walls  was  he 
crucified.  The  world  is  indebted  to  this  little  pro- 
vince of  Judea,  almost  all  of  which  we  see  from  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  as  it  is  indebted  to  no  other  land 
on  earth. 

Come  with  me  now  to  another  mount  and 
view  another  province.  You  can  travel  more  easily 
than  did  we,  for  imagination  flies  in  a  moment 
across  those  weary  miles  of  rocky  roads  over  which 
our  horses  bore  us  with  difficulty  in  two  long  days 
of  travel.  But  think  of  yourself  as  standing  now 
upon  the  summit  of  Mount  Gerizim,  overlooking 
the  province  of  Samaria.  We  are  now  in  the  cen- 
ter of  Immanuel's  Land.  From  this  high  mount 
the  whole  of  Palestine  is  in  sight.  Looking  south- 
ward over  twenty-four  miles  of  hilltops,  you  can 
dimly  see  an  ancient  tower.  That  tower  stands 
upon  Mizpah,  and  is  only  five  miles  from  Jerusa- 
lem. Looking  westward  over  the  hills  that  break 
downward  toward  the  sandy  plain  and  the  green 
vale  of  Sharon,  thirty  miles  away,  you  see  dis- 
tinctly the  infinite  blue  of  the  sea.  Turning  north- 
wards, we  behold  the  snowy  shoulders  of  Mount 
Hermon  gleaming  riove  the  clouds  across  seventy- 
five  miles  of  mountain  tops.  While  to  the  east  are 
the  mountains  "beyond  Jordan." 

But  the  view  is  very  diflferent  from  that  at  which 
we  have  just  been   looking.     The  mountains  are 


'••■SP-A      •*--V3air?,?sL'f- 


MOUNTAIN  TOP  VIEWS 


71 


still  here,  it  is  true,  and  they  are  grander  than  in 
Judea,  but  here  there  are  also  fertile  plains.  From 
the  very  foot  of  Gerizim  there  stretches  a  broad 
plain  as  level  as  a  floor,  and  when  we  saw  it  it  had 
as  many  colors  as  a  patchwork  quilt  or  Joseph's 
coat  of  many  colors — the  brown  of  freshly  plowed 
fields,  red  of  fields  plowed  days  before,  the  green 
of  springing  lintels,  the  darker  green  of  the  filling 
barley,  the  yellow  of  the  golden  grain,  the  white  of 
blossoming  fields  of  peas,  the  crimson  spots  aflame 
with  poppies,  the  mingled  purple  and  white  of  beds 
of  anemones,  while  several  hillsides  were  olive 
green,  with  groves  of  olive  trees,  and  the  city  of 
Shechem,  just  at  our  feet,  was  verdant  with  vari- 
ous foliage.  And  do  you  see  that  white  speck  at  the 
head  of  this  many-colored  plain?  It  is  the  dome 
over  Jacob's  Well,  upon  whose  curb-stone  our  Sa- 
vior sat  talking  with  the  woman,  when  he  pointed 
up  at  this  ver>'  mountain  and  said :  "Neither  in  this 
mountain  nor  in  Jerusalem  shall  ye  worship  the 
Father ;  but  the  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the 
true  worshipers  shall  worship  the  Father  in  spirit 
and  in  truth." 

These  open  valleys  of  Samaria  have  made  a 
great  diflference  in  her  history,  as  compared  with 
that  of  Judea.  Like  open  arms  they  stretch  out 
inviting  all  men  to  enter,  while  Judea's  rocky  hills, 
like  clenched  fists,  warn  off  the  intruder. 

Another  result  of  this  difference  between  the 
provinces  was  that  while  Judea  with  her  templed 
hills  became  a  sanctuary,  Samaria,  with  her  broad 


I' 


I 


I:? 


^  i 


f ' 


Iff 


72 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


road-like  valleys,  became  a  cess-pool.    All  the  cor- 
ruptions of  heathenism  came  pouring  into  her  and 
there  found  its  natural  home.    Judea  trained  up  a 
people  so  loyal  and  so  religious  that  their  patriot- 
ism survived  2,000  years  of  separation,  while  their 
religion  has  become  world-wide,  and  thousands  of 
pilgrims  today  come  from  the  fairest  countries  of 
earth  to  pour  their  tears  upon  her  dust,  though  it 
be  among  the  most  barren  the  world  contains.    But 
Samaria  brought  forth  a  people  that  was  neither 
loyal  nor  religious,  a  people  among  whom  are  found 
but  few  great  names,  and  the  land  today  is  looked 
upon  with  pity  and  reproach  rather  than  with  love. 
This,   in   turn,   is  the   reason   that,   though  these 
provinces  are  within  sight  of  each  other,  "the  Jews 
had  no  dealings  with  the  Samaritans."  The  Samari- 
tans lookc  1  with  contempt  upon  the  Jews  as  rude 
mountaineers,  a  people  of  shepherds  and  prophets, 
who  knew  little  outside  their  own  hills.   The  Jews 
looked  with  righteous  anger  upon  the  Samaritans, 
who  fawned  at  the  feet  of  foreigners  and  drank  in 
their  vices,  marrying  their  children  and  worshiping 
their  gods.     So  intense  became  this  hatred  that  a 
Jew  would  seldom  go  through  Samaria,  and  even 
when   our   Savior  passed  through  it  was  said  of 
him,  as  though  in  excuse,  that  "He  must  needs  go 
through  Samaria." 

Our  third  mountain-top  view  of  Immanuel's 
Land  is  from  the  top  of  the  hill  that  overhangs  the 
city  of  Nazareth.  And  to  me  this  was  the  most 
interesting  view  of  all,  for  this  is  the  city  of  our 


.^f#^- 


MOUNTAIN  TOP  VIEWS  73 

Savior's  young  manhood,  and  he  must  often  have 
climbed  to  this  mountain  to;)  and  gazed  upon  the 
scenes  that  are  spread  before  us.    What  a  view  it 
is  1    We  have  seen  Judea  and  Samaria ;  now  we  see 
GaHlee,  and  it  is  different  from  either  of  the  others. 
The  mountains  are  round  about  us,  it  is  true,  but 
they  are  gr.  en  with  verdure,  painted  with  number- 
less wild  flowers  and  clad  with  flourishing  orchards. 
This  is  a  land  so  fertile  that  it  has  been  called  "the 
garden  of  the  Lord."    Springs  gush  from  the  living 
rock   and  mountain  streams  are  everywhere.     The 
difference  between   Galilee  and  Judea  is  just  the 
difference   between   their    names.      "Galilee"    is   a 
liquid  and  musical  word  like  her  running  waters; 
"Judea"  is  hard  and  harsh,  like  the  sound  of  your 
horse's  hoofs  on  her  burning  rocks.     Throughout 
this  land  of  Galilee  olives  were  so  abund:  nt  that 
the  Jews  have  a  proverb:     "It  is  easier  to  raise  a 
legion  of  olives  in  Galilee  than  to  bring  up  a  child 
in  Judea." 

But  the  most  prominent  feature  of  this  land- 
scape is  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  largest  valley 
in  the  Land  of  Promise,  stretching  like  a  western 
prairie  across  the  country  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  "a  sea  of  waving  grain  and  grass  amid  a 
shore  of  hills."  This  plain  has  been  the  scene  of 
twenty  battles.  As  Jesus  stood  upon  that  hill  of 
Nazareth  and  looked  down  upon  it  he  had  a  map  of 
Old  Testament  history  spread  before  hii  .  There 
are  the  scenes  of  Barak's  and  of  Gideon's  victories, 
the  scenes  of  Saul's  and  Joshua's  defeats,  the  scenes 
of  the  struggle  for  freedom  m  the  glorious  davs  of 


it 


-■  ■trr''- 


F^ISh 


.^^^^.jML^. 


74 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


the  Maccabees.  There  is  Naboth's  vineyard,  there 
is  Endor,  famous  for  its  witch ;  there  is  Gideon's 
fountain;  while  away  to  the  west  across  the  plain 
is  Carmel,  the  place  of  Elijah's  sacrifice  and  the 
slaughter  of  the  priests  of  Baal.  How  often  must 
our  Savior  have  gazed  upon  these  places  while  his 
hands  held  the  open  scroll  from  which  he  read  their 
history. 

Moreover,  from  the  high  observatory  in  which 
he  was  reared,  Girist  beheld  the  life  of  the  world 
passing  before  his  eyes,  for  this  garden  of  the  Lord 
is  crossed  by  many  of  the  world's  most  famous 
highways.  Wv  saw  that  Judea  is  on  the  road  to 
nowhere ;  Galilc  .  is  covered  with  roads  to  every- 
where. A  company  of  travelers  like  ourselves 
passed  three  great  droves  of  camels  upon  this  plain. 
"Where  from?"  they  asked  the  drivers.  "Damas- 
cus," was  the  reply.  "And  where  are  you  going?" 
"To  JaflFa  and  Gaza;  but  if  we  do  not  sell  our 
camels  there  we  will  drive  them  down  to  Egj'pt." 
And  so,  from  Abraham's  time  until  the  present 
time,  caravans  that  have  been  almost  endless,  and 
armies  that  have  followed  one  another  in  quick  suc- 
cession, have  marched  along  these  roads  through 
Galilee.  Camels  from  Damascus,  horses  from 
Arabia,  the  war-chariots  of  Egypt,  the  armies  of 
Greece,  the  legions  of  Rome,  and  even  elephants 
from  India,  have  trod  these  roads  in  their  great 
military  conquests. 

Jesus  must  oft  have  gazed  upon  these  travelers. 
The  Midianite  caravans  could  be  seen  for  miles 
coming  up  from  the  fords  of  Jordan  laden  with 


JESm^m 


W^A^r^^  V  ;4^.. 


MOUNTAIN  TOP  VIEWS 


75 


their  bales  of  merchandise.  Along  those  roads  he 
would  sometimes  see  the  Roman  legions  march, 
with  their  steel  helmets  and  spearheads  flashing  in 
the  sunlight;  here  princes  occasionally  swept  by 
with  their  richly  dressed  retinue;  while  all  sorts  of 
travelers  were  constantl\  j.»as.sing  to  and  fro  Christ 
was  not  reared  in  an  isolated  home,  but  on  the  high- 
way of  the  world,  and  he  founded  a  religion  not  for 
the  Jews  only,  but  for  the  world;  a  religion  that 
was  to  travel  first  of  all  along  these  very  roads,  and 
then  along  all  roads  of  all  lands  till  the  world  was 
brought  to  Christ. 

Remember  Judea,  with  her  barren  hills  of  stones; 
Samaria,  with  her  valleys  of  cultivated  fields,  and 
Galilee,  with  her  grassy  hills  and  glorious  lake,  and 
you  will  understand  the  life  of  Jesus  better.  It  was 
in  stony  Judea  that  Satan  said:  "Command  that 
these  stones  become  bread ;"  here  they  stoned  Ste- 
phen ;  here  they  took  up  stones  to  cast  at  Jesus ; 
here  Jesus  said :  "If  these  siiould  hold  their  peace,' 
the  stones  would  immediately  cry  out";  here  he 
cursed  the  barren  fig-tree. 

It  was  in  the  broad  valley  of  Samaria  that  Jesus 
said:  "Lift  up  your  eyes  and  look  on  the  fields, 
for  they  are  white  unto  harvest.' 

It  was  in  grassy  Galilee  that  he  commanded  the 
thousands  to  sit  down,  "for  there  was  much  grass 
there."  In  Galilee  he  said :  "Behold  the  fowls  of 
the  air,"  and  "Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field";  in 
Galilee  the  disciples  plucked  the  standing  grain.  To 
understand  the  Christ  one  must  understand  the  land 
in  which  he  lived. 


U  ; 


CHAPTER  VII 
GLIMPSES  AT  JOPPA 

The  first  city  one  sees  upon  ertering  the  Holy 
Land  by  the  usual  route  ot  travel  is  the  city  of 
Joppa.  Imagine  yourselves  standing  upon  the  decks 
of  a  steamship  anchored  before  this  city.  You  are 
a  mile  or  more  from  shore,  for  no  ship  dare  ven- 
ture closer  to  that  most  dangerous  coast,  and  all 
passengers  and  freight  must  be  landed  in  small 
boats.  In  stormy  weather  landing  is  accompanied 
with  great  peril.  Two  men  had  been  drowned  but 
a  few  days  before  our  arrival  and  a  ship  laden  with 
pilgrims  had  been  compelled  to  leave  Joppa  and 
sail  for  Port  Said  to  find  shelter  from,  the  storm. 

The  harbor  is  probably  the  most  dangerous  in  the 
world.  When  the  water  is  at  all  rough  landing  be- 
comes an  impossibility,  while  in  a  gale  vessels  make 
no  attempt  to  send  boats  ashore,  bu^  go  straight 
past,  carrying  passengers,  freight,  mail,  express  and 
all  to  Beirut  or  Port  Said  as  the  case  may  be,  bring- 
ing them  back  on  the  next  trip.  Should  the  seas 
run  high  when  they  come  again  no  landing  is  made 
and  everything  is  carried  by  a  second  time,  and  so 
on  till  the  water  !s  smooth  enough  for  the  boats  to 
transport  passengers  and  bagga^.  to  the  shores. 
And  as  this  is  the  only  port  for  the  whole  southern 
portion  of  Palestine,  frequently  dwellers  at  Jerusa- 

76 


:'f 


GLIMPSES  AT  JOPPA  ^j 

lew  are  compelled  to  wait  a  week  or  more  for  their 
mail,  while  perishable  merchandise  is  often  ruined. 
A  recent  traveler  says:  "I  once  saw  an  unfortun- 
ate ship  merchant  tear  his  clothes,  throw  dust  on  his 
head  and  offer  up  a  series  of  universal  and  compre- 
hensive curses  because  a  large  cargo  of  sheep  that 
he  had  shipped  at  great  expense  from  Alexandretta 
to  Joppa  could  not  be  landed,  but  had  to  be  carried 
on  to  Egypt  and  thence  back  again.  Not  only  was 
the  merchant  obliged  to  pay  the  extra  freight,  but 
not  having  sufficient  fodder  several  of  his  sheep  died 
from  starvation." 

Having  heard  so  much  of  Joppa's  dangerous  har- 
bor we  were  naturally  somewhat  anxious.  But  our 
sea  was  perfectly  still,  and  across  the  glassy  waters 
we  could  see  the  Holy  Land,  its  beaches  extending 
for  miles  to  north  and  south,  while  the  city  of  Joppa 
built  upon  the  rock  that  rises  from  the  water's  edge 
looks  white  and  really  beautiful  from  that  distance, 
so  that  we  can  understand  why  the  Jews  called  it 
"Joppa,"  which  is  a  Hebrew  word  meaning  "the 
high"  or  "the  beautiful." 

As  we  gaze  upon  this  city,  its  white-washed 
houses  glistening  in  the  stmshine.  our  minds  turn 
naturally  to  its  history.  Joppa  is  in  reality  one  of 
the  oldest  cities  in  the  world.  Its  records  date  back 
over  4,000  years,  and  there  is  a  tradition  "that  Joppa 
existed  before  the  deluge"  (Warner  2).  In  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  land  by  Joshua  it  was  given  to  Dan. 
The  armies  of  Eg}'pt,  Assyria  and  Babylonia  cap- 
tured it  in  turn.   It  was  really  the  only  seaport  ever 


78 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


i  ; 

i  i 

■  E 

{   : 


i  ?  I 

i  ?  i 

s  -  t 

1  i  » 

!  ? 


owned  by  the  Israelites.  For  ages  it  has  been  the 
chief  port  of  the  great  Jerusalem.  Joppa  was  the 
city  to  which  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre,  sent  great  rafts 
of  the  cedar  of  Lebanon,  a  present  to  Solomon,  the 
king,  for  the  temple  he  was  building  at  Jerusalem. 
Hither  Jonah  came  to  find  a  ship  in  which  to  flee 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  This  town  more 
than  once  swarmed  with  Roman  legions  on  their 
way  to  crush  a  Jewish  insurrection.  The  early 
Christians  made  it  one  of  their  strongholds;  here 
lived  Dorcas  the  charitable,  and  Simon  the  tanner ; 
here  came  Peter,  the  great  apostle.  Both  the  cres- 
cent and  the  cross  have  since  been  seen  on  the  ban- 
ners that  have  floated  from  its  walls,  for  it  was  held 
by  the  Mohammedans  and  became  the  headquarters 
of  the  Crusaders.  Great  kingdoms  and  conquerors 
have  held  it  in  turn,  and  for  thousands  of  years 
merchants  have  tried  their  fortunes  in  its  perilous 
roadstead. 

But  the  Jcppa  of  today  shows  few  signs  of  her 
former  p'^wer  and  glory.  She  should  be  called 
"Ichabod,  for  her  glory  is  departed.  Her  walls 
have  been  razed  to  the  ground  until  not  one  stone 
remains  upon  another.  Her  fortifications  have  been 
overthrown.  Her  population  is  about  23,000.  From 
the  sea  the  city  looks  like  a  white  bowl  turned  up- 
side down.  On  landing  one  struggles  up  the  slip- 
p  ry  steps,  picks  his  way  along  filthy  alleyways, 
entering  streets  that  are  steep  and  crooked.  You 
pass  through  oriental  archways  that  cover  the 
streets,  you  ascend  flights  of  stone  steps  worn  by 


ili 


GLIMPSES  AT  JOPPa  79 

the  countless  feet  that  have  trodden  ihem  through 
the  ages,  you  make  unexpected  turns,  you  pass  by  a 
pillared  mosque  or  two  and  come  upon  an  ancient 
square  in  the  center  of  which  is  a  round  fountain 
profusely  sculptured  with  Arabic  inscriptions.     All 
around  about  are  the  little  shops  of  the  bazaars, 
their  gay  stuffs  contrasting  strangely  with  the  dark 
skins  of  the  idlers  on  the  pavement.  Then  you  come 
to  the  market,  where  uncouth  camels  bend  to  re- 
ceive their  burdens  or  stand  around  chewing  their 
cuds,  while  unnumbered  dops  stretch  their  length 
along  the  streets  asleep  in  the  sunshine.    Here  vast 
heaps  of  oranges  line  the  streets  and  fill  the  atmos- 
phere with  a  golden  tinge.     If  you  leave  tb«  city 
and  stroll  about  the  suburbs  you  will  find  vast  or- 
chards of  orange  trees  with  lemons,  dates,  bananas 
and  other  fruits  flourishing  in  tropical  luxuriance. 
In    these   gardens    are    rudely   constructed    water- 
wheels  turned  by  men  or  mules  and  making  the  very 
desert  to  blossom  as  the  rose.    The  air  is  heavy  in 
the    springtime    with    the    fragrance   of   blossoms. 
Curious  birds  sing  among  the  branches.      Lizards 
of  many  colors  sun  themselves  in  the  sands  or  dart 
beneath  the  cactus  hedges  at  the  approach  of  the 
traveler.     Such   is  Joppa  past   and   present.     But 
Joppa  is  noted  not  for  what  it  now  is,  for  after  all 
it  is  but  a  miserable  Mohammedan  city,  but  for  the 
great  men  of  the  past  whose  names  have  been  con- 
nected with  it.     Let  us  now  take  a  few  glimpses  at 
its  history.     Its  earliest  days  are  bound  up  in  le- 
gendary lore. 


8o 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


I 


I 


r. 


First  of  all  we  find  the  legend  of  Perseus  and  An- 
dromeda.    Andromeda,  according  to  the  Greek  le- 
gend, was  the  daughter  of  Cepheus  and  Cassiopea, 
king  and  queen  of  the  Ethiopians.     The  king  in 
some  way  drew  down  upon  himself  the  anger  of 
Neptune,  the  god  of  the  sea,  who  sent  a  great  flood 
upon  the  land  and  a  terrible  sea  monster,  who  de- 
stroyed both  man  and  beast.    Many  were  the  expe- 
ditions sent  out  against  this  ferocious  beast  whose 
food  was  human  flesh  and  blood,  but  all  were  in 
vain.     At  last  the  oracle  declared  that  there  could 
be  no  relief  until  the  king  had  given  his  beautiful 
daughter  Andromeda  to  the  monster.     The  sacri- 
fice must  be  made.     Amid  national  lamentation  she 
was  fastened  with  chains  to  a  rock  upon  the  shore 
near  Joppa.     (The  very  rock  and  the  very  chains 
were  shown  to  credulous  tourists  but  a  few  years 
ago.)     There,  deserted  by  all  her  friends  she  awaited 
an  awful  death.    But  Perseus,  a  Greek  hero,  whose 
highest  ambition  was  to  save  the  helpless  and  rescue 
the  innocent,  as  he  returned  from  other  deeds  of 
mercy  found  Andromeda  chained  to  the  rock,  and 
at  imminent  peril  to  himself  slew  the  monster  and 
set  the  maiden  free.    After  her  death,  so  says  the  le- 
gend, Andromeda  was  made  one  of  the  stars  of  the 
northern  skies,  where  she  may  still  be  seen  shining, 
and  which  has  ever  since  been  called  by  her  name. 
The  name  of  Peter  is  also  associated  with  Joppa. 
You  will  remember  that  when  this  apostle  of  Christ 
came  to  Joppa  to  preach  the  gospel  he  was  enter- 
tained with  one  Simon,  a  tanner.    The  tourist  is  sur- 


GLIMPSES  AT  JOPPA 


8i 


prised  to  find  that  little  tanneries  still  exist  in  Joppa. 
There  are  the  little  tan-vats,  there  are  the  hides  piled 
up  in  the  streets  or  stretched  out  to  dry,  and  there 
is  the  same  awful  smell  of  the  tan  yards.  The 
Jews  held  the  tanner  in  great  abhorrence.  A  wife 
could  obtain  a  divorce  if  her  husband  became  a 
tanner.  Tan  shops  were  therefore  prohibited  from 
all  places  but  the  seashore.  The  house  of  Simon 
the  tanner  is  shown  in  Joppa.  We  found  it  within  a 
stone's  throw  of  the  seashore.  It  is  built  of  stone 
covered  with  whitewash,  has  two  little  rooms,  is 
shaded  by  an  ancient  fig  tree,  a  fountain  gushes 
from  a  rude  well  in  the  yard,  steps  lead  up  the  side 
of  the  house  to  the  top  roof,  which  is  flat.  Who 
knows  but  this  building  stands  upon  tne  very  place 
where  Simon  Peter  was  entertained  by  Simon  the 
tanner  ?  Whether  it  be  the  very  spot  or  no  matters 
but  little.  Here  or  hereabouts  Peter  was  praying  in 
Joppa.  Wearied  with  fasting  he  slept  upon  the 
housetop  and  beheld  that  marvelous  vision  of  the 
sheet  let  down  from  heaven  containing  all  manner 
of  beasts,  while  the  voice  said.  "Rise,  Peter,  slay 
and  eat."  This  vision  in  ancient  Joppa  proclaimed 
to  the  weary  world  the  brotherhood  of  man.  From 
this  spot  issued  the  democracy  of  the  gospel :  "Of 
a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  per- 
sons." From  this  insignificant  dwelling  went  forth 
an  edict  that  broke  the  power  of  tyrants,  loosed  the 
bonds  of  slaves,  ennobled  the  lot  of  woman,  and 
gave  Christianity  to  the  world.  What  Bunker  Hill 
is  to  America  Joppa  should   be   to  the   religious 


uM^'i 


82 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


Hi 


world.  Obedient  to  the  heavenly  vision  Peter  went 
forth  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles  and  in- 
augurate that  great  missionary  movement  which 
shall  not  cease  till  the  kingdom  of  this  earth  has 
bccMne  the  kingdom  of  our  kord  and  of  his  Christ. 
Wonderful  indeed  have  been  the  results  of  that 
dream  of  Peter  upon  the  housetop  of  Simon  the 
tanner  of  Joppa. 

Joppa  was  also  the  home  of  Dorcas,  one  of  the 
most  saintly  women  of  the  Bible,  who  is  there  de- 
scribed as  "a  woman  full  of  good  works  and  alms- 
deeds  which  she  did."  We  saw  the  church  which 
marks  the  spot  where  the  house  of  Dorcas  once 
stood.  You  recall  her  death  in  Joppa.  Peter  was 
summoned  in  great  haste  to  her  bedside,  but  when 
he  arrived  he  found  that  she  had  died  and  had  been 
prepared  for  burial,  while  weeping  women  filled  the 
chamber,  lamenting  for  the  one  who  was  gone,  and 
showing  the  coats  and  garments  which  Dorcas  had 
made  while  she  was  with  them.  But  Peter  kneeled 
in  prayer  and  God  restored  the  woman  to  life  and 
sent  her  again  upon  her  deeds  of  mercy.  "And  it 
was  known  throughout  all  Joppa,  and  many  believed 
on  the  Lord."  As  one  beholds  all  the  poverty  of 
^oppa  and  the  filthy  women  and  children  who 
throng  the  streets  clad  in  rags,  he  cannot  but  wish 
that  Dorcas  might  be  a  second  time  raised  from  the 
dead  and  sent  forth  among  these  people  with  "coats 
and  garments."  There  is  room  for  a  dozen  "Dorcas 
Societies"  in  Joppa  today.  When  you  name  the 
women  who  stand  high  in  the  kingdom  of  God — 


GLIMPSES  AT  JOPPA 


83 


Florence    Nightingale,    Frances    VVillard,    Phoebe 

Cary,  Joan  d'Arc,  Maud  Ballington  Booth,  Clara 

Barton— do  not  forget  her  who  lived  before  them 

all,  the  forerunner  of  woman's  work  in  charity  and 

missions,  Dorcas,  the  saintly  woman  of  Joppa. 

In  contrast  with  these  I  would  speak  of  another 
whose  history  is  connected  with  Joppa. 

It  was  in  March,  1799,  that  Napoleon,  ambitious 
to  establish  an  empire  in  the  cast,  carried  Joppa  by 
storm.    The  town  was  given  over  to  pillage.    Dur- 
ing its  progress  4,000  Albians  of  the  garrison  tak- 
ing refuge  in  some  old  khans,  offered  to  surrender 
on  condition  that  their  lives  should  be  spared,  other- 
wise they  would  fight  to  the  bitter  end.    Their  terms 
were  accepted  and  Napoleon  pledged  his  honor  for 
their  safety.     They  were  marched  into  his  head- 
quarters and  seated  in  front  of  the  tents  with  their 
arms   bound   behind   them.     The  displeased  com- 
mander called  a  council  of  war  and  deliberated  two 
days  upon  their  fate  and  then  signed  the  order  for 
the  massacre  of  the  entire  body.    Thus  in  one  day 
were  murdered  in  cold  blood  about  4,000  people. 
All  antiquity  may  be  searched  in  vain  for  an  act  of 
greater  cruelty  than  this  act  of  Napoleon  in  ancient 
Joppa.     Napoleon  has  been  called  the  grand  em- 
peror, but  though  he  was  the  conqueror  of  half  the 
world  his  life  was  a  grand  failure.    The  vast  em- 
pire which  he  established  has   fallen  as  have  the 
walls  of  Joppa,  while  the  kingdom  which   Christ 
built  upon  love  has  grown  stronger  with  each  pass- 
ing century,  and  is  more  immovable  than  the  ever- 


[if 


ji    j 


84 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


lasting  hills.    WTiat  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  con- 
quer the  whole  world  to  lose  his  own  soul ! 

A  short  distance  oiUsiile  Joppa  is  a  colony  of  peo- 
ple from  this  land  and  others,  who  have  been  wait- 
ing there  for  years  for  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 
Two  of  us  drove  out  to  this  colony  on  donkey  back, 
through  the  orange  groves  and  across  the  plain. 
The  history  of  this  colony  is  a  romantic  one.  Many 
years  ago  about  250  New  England  people  having 
heard  the  prophecies  of  the  latter  days  unravelled, 
came  to  believe  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  was  nigh 
and  that  they  would  hasten  to  the  Land  of  Promise 
to  await  his  coming.  They  sold  their  property  and 
sailed  to  Joppa,  where  they  secured  a  portion  of 
land,  erected  a  cluster  of  wooden  houses  which  they 
had  brought  from  America,  built  a  little  church  of 
Maine  timber,  and  began  to  gaze  into  heaven  for  the 
coming  Christ.  But  they  found  that  even  in  the 
Holy  Land  one  must  labor  if  he  would  live.  Mr.nth 
after  month  passed  by  and  as  no  Savior  appeared 
they  joined  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  in  the 
struggle  for  existence.  Sickness  and  famine  vis- 
ited them.  Their  leader,  who  bad  eloquently  ex- 
pounded the  prophecies  in  this  land,  lost  faith  and 
became  a  drunkard  there.  With  bad  management 
the  whole  enterprise  came  to  grief  and  the  deluded 
people  were  rescued  from  starvation  only  by  the 
liberality  of  our  government,  which  brought  the 
remnant  back  to  this  land.  Their  successors  are 
Germans,  a  colony  from  Wurtemberg,  single-mind- 
ed and  devout.    There  thev  await  the  coming  of  the 


ii  ■■  * 


GLIMPSES  AT  JOPPA 


85 


Lord.    We  found  a  prosperous  colony  of  about  400 
souls,  living  in  red-tiled  houses,  both  schools  and 
churches  in  their  villages,  a  =;imple,  industrious  peo- 
ple cultivating  the  soil  and  believing  that  they  are 
serving  God.    Devout  they  are  beyond  a  question, 
but  they  are  as  certainly  deluded.     We  wondered 
that  some  angel  did  not  appear  to  them  as  to  the 
men  of  old,  saying:     "Ye  men  of  Germany,  why 
stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven?     This  same  Jesus 
which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven  commanded 
'Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every   creature.' "     God's   children   should    not    be 
star-gazers,  but  soul  winners.   They  should  not  idly 
await  the  coming  of  Christ,  but  should  hasten  that 
coming  by  their  labors.     If  Christ  be  near,  all  the 
more  should  we  redeem  the  time  and  buy  up  every 
opportunity. 

From  these  sketches  of  this  ancient  city,  these 
glim])scs  of  a  history  that  extends  into  the  mists  of 
mythology,  perhaps  we  shall  be  able  to  picture  to 
ourselves  more  clearly  this  city  in  which  have  hap- 
pened so  many  events  recorded  in  God's  word  and 
understand  a  little  better  than  we  have  in  the  past 
the  lives  of  some  of  the  characters  of  the  Bible. 
Thus  from  the  legend  of  Perseus,  from  the  example 
of  Peter  and  Dorcas,  from  the  warning  of  the 
wicked  Napoleon  and  those  misled  colonists,  let  us 
learn  to  seek  more  earnestly  than  ever  before  the 
will  of  God  concerning  us,  and  when  once  we  un- 
derstrnul  what  he  would  have  us  do  let  us  do  it  with 
all  our  might. 


lU 


^^1 


CHAPTER  VIII 
JERUSALEM  AS  IT  IS  TODAY 

Never  has  other  city  been  loved  as  Jerusalem  was 
loved  by  the  Jews.  To  them  she  was  the  stateliest 
and  best  of  all  cities.  Upon  her  they  lavished  their 
wealth,  their  poetry,  their  art.  Even  from  their 
distant  land  of  captivity  they  looked  back  upon 
Jerusalem  as  many  a  weary  pilgrim  looks  forward 
to  Heaven.  Indeed,  when  John  sought  a  name  for 
the  Celestial  City  he  could  conceive  of  no  name 
more  beautifully  appropriate  than  that  of  the  city 
amid  the  Judean  hills,  and  so  he  called  it  the  "New 
Jerusalem."  And  no  one  who  has  read  the  Psalms 
can  ever  forget  the  extravagant  praises  that  are 
lavished  upon  this  city.  Harken  for  example  to 
the  psalmist  sitting  by  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  weep- 
ing as  he  remembers  Zion,  and  asking  how-  he  can 
sing  the  Lord's  song  in  a  strange  land ;  and  yet  even 
as  he  asks  the  question  he  lifts  the  harp  and  sings: 
"If  I  forget  thee,  O  Jerusalem,  let  my  right  hand 
forget  her  cunning.  If  I  do  not  remember  thee  let 
my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth ;  if  I 
prefer  not  Jerusalem  above  my  chief  joy." 

Far  dififerent  must  be  the  sentiments  of  the  trav- 
eler in  Jerusalem  today.     However  deeply  he  may 


:   ii  ' 


JERUSALEM  AS  IT  IS  TODAY        87 


be  moved  by  the  past  of  that  ancient  city,  there  is 
nothing  in  the  present  to  attract  him  beyond  a  few 
days'  residence.  Among  all  the  cities  of  the  earth 
there  are  few  where  he  would  not  rather  take  up  his 
permanent  residence  than  in  Jerusalem. 

It  was  with  a  deep  feeling  of  reluctance  that  we 
stepped  aboard  the  train  at  Jaflfa  to  go  up  to  Jeru- 
salem by  rail.  What  could  be  more  incongruous 
than  a  screaming  locomotive  in  the  country  of 
caravans  ?  A  mcKlern  conductor  in  the  land  of  the 
prophets  ?  Gladly  would  I  have  mounted  one  of  the 
camels  lying  in  the  sunshine  of  the  city  market-place 
of  Jaffa  and  thus  have  gone  up  to  the  Holy  City,  as 
did  the  patriarchs  of  old,  with  songs  of  Zion  on  my 
lips  and  praise  within  my  heart.  "But  now  a  rail- 
road has  been  built  over  this  distance  of  thirty-three 
miles,  and  once  a  day  the  iron  horse  draws  tourists 
across  the  plains  of  Sharon ;  a  railroad  bridge  sur- 
mounts the  brook  where  David  chose  the  smooth 
stones  for  his  combat  with  Goliath ;  a  locomotive's 
whistle  wakes  the  echoes  of  Mount  Zion ;  and  the 
conductor  might  with  reason  call  out  to  his  passen- 
gers en  route :  "Ramlch — reputed  residence  of 
Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of  Arimathea;  five  minutes 
for  refreshments."  (Stoddard,  120.)  We  crossed 
the  beautiful  plain  of  Sharon,  wound  around  among 
the  hills  of  Judea,  and  at  last  crowded  windows  and 
platforms  that  we  might  catch  the  first  glimpse  of 
the  city.  When  our  guide  told  us  that  Jerusalem 
wcadd  soon  appear  I  felt  a  quick  bound  at  my 
heart.    Jerusalem  at  last!    Tlie  first  glimpse  of  its 


■.ms' 

■ 

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1: 


MICROCOPY   RESOLUTION   TEST   CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


1.0 

■-  lllllil 

150      l"== 

1.  ^ 

II  o  o 

2.0 

I.I 

1.8 

1.25 


1.4 


1.6 


A  APPLIED  INA^GE     Inc 

^p-  i6'jj    East    Main    Street 

—JS  Rochester,    New    York  14609        USA 

.^S  (716)    482  -  OJOO  -  Phone 

^S  (716)    288  -  5989  -  Fa« 


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*  ■ 


88 


i 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


historic  walls  can  never  be  forgotten.  "No  spot  on 
earth  appeals  so  powerfully  both  to  the  intellect  and 
the  emotion.s.  No  equal  area  of  <  ir  globe  has  been 
the  theatre  of  events  which  have  so  influenced  the 
history  of  mankind."  At  last  the  city  broke  upon 
our  view.  There  it  was,  upon  its  hilltop,  with  walls, 
and  bulwarks,  and  mighty  gates ;  the  city  that  has 
been  sacred  to  religion  for  thousands  of  years ;  the 
city  that  has  ever  been  the  bone  of  contention  among 
the  nations ;  the  city  whose  praises  have  been  sung 
by  psalmists ;  the  city  wliich  prophets  have  made 
the  symbol  of  that  other  city  whose  builder  and 
maker  is  God;  the  city  of  Solomon  and  David;  the 
city  of  Jesus  and  Paul ;  the  city  of  Gethsemane  and 
Calvary.  There  it  was  before  our  eyes,  the  city  we 
had  read  of,  and  dreamed  of,  and  loved  for  years; 
its  grey  walls  and  rising  domes  aglow  with  the  set- 
ting sun.  In  speechless  silence  we  gazed  upon  it 
till  the  Doctor  solemnly  cried  out :  "Beautiful  for 
situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth  is  Mount  Zion." 
.Vnd  now  how  can  I  describe  to  you  the  city 
itself?  I  cannot  describe  it  adequately,  but  I  shall  try 
to  leave  with  you  a  few  word-pictures  that  may  re- 
main upon  your  memories.  Jerusalem  is  surround- 
ed by  walls  built  before  the  days  of  Solomon,  but 
destroyed  and  restored  a  hundred  times  since  then. 
Nor  does  it  seem  strange  to  find  the  Holy  City 
fortified.  Its  situation  naturally  makes  of  it  a  fort- 
ress. Jerusalem  is  emphatica  .»  a  city  set  upon  a 
hill.  Built  on  a  natural  bluff  of  rock,  three  sides  of 
it  look  down  on  deep  ravines,  which  take  the  place 


t1^ 


JERUSALEM  AS  IT  IS  TODAY 


89 


of  moats.  Had  it  possessed  a  valley  on  the  north 
side  also  Jerusalem  would  have  been  impregnable 
to  ancient  modes  of  warfare.  The  present  walls 
are,  of  course,  almost  worthless  for  protection  now. 
An  hour's  bombardment  with  modern  cannon  would 
make  them  fall  as  flat  as  those  of  Jericho.  Yet 
from  a  distance  Jerusalem  still  presents  the  appear- 
ance of  a  fortress ;  for  these  old  battlements  are 
nearly  forty  feet  in  height,  and  are  marked  at  in- 
tervals by  projecting  towers.  One  of  these  towers 
dates  back  to  the  days  of  King  David,  whose  name 
it  bears.  Nor  have  these  mighty  bulwarks  been  in 
vain.  It  was  not  without  purpose  that  the  Hebrew 
poet  sang,  "Walk  about  Zion.  Go  round  about  her. 
Count  the  towers  thereof.  ■Mark  well  her  bul- 
warks," for  Jerusalem  has  sustained  more  terrible 
and  more  destructive  sieges  than  any  city  upon 
earth.  The  armies  of  many  nations  have  stormed 
her  walls.  She  might  more  approptiately  be  called 
"The  City  of  Sieges"  than  "The  Ci  v  of  Peace." 
"How  strange,"  remarks  a  recent  traveler,  "that 
this  warlike  city,  so  deeply  stained  with  blood, 
should  have  acquired  universal  interest,  not  through 
some  mighty  warrior  or  king,  but  through  the 
'Prince  of  Peace,'  an  uncomplaining  martyr  who, 
somewhere  on  this  very  hill,  besought  his  Father  to 
forgive  his  murderers !" 

Within  these  walls  is  gathered  a  population  of 
about  40,000  souls.  The  traveler  soon  understands 
what  the  psalmist  meant  when  he  said :  "Jerusalem 
is  a  city  compact  together,"  for  so  compact  is  this 


>^mmm>^jim^^M 


I?: 

lit: 


I'- 


I?  - 


90  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

city  that  one  can  walk  round  the  walls  in  little  more 
than  an  hour.    The  people  live  in  houses  that  are 
mean,  squalid  and  poor ;  and  swarm  out  into  streets 
rudely  paved  with  stone,  so  narrow  that  no  carriage 
is  allowed  within  the  city  limits  for  the  simple  rea- 
son that  two  could  not  pass,  and  filthy  beyond  im- 
agination, with  open  gutters  in  the  centres.    These 
narrow  lanes  are  filled  with  a  sober-faced  multitude, 
many   of  them   leading  long  lines   of  camels,   or 
driving  heavily  laden  donkeys,  or  bargaining  with 
the   merchants,  who  sit   cross-legged   in   the   little 
stores  or  the  bazaars.     So  narr6w  are  the  streets, 
and  so  high  and  gloomy  are  the  adjoining  walls 
that  one  feels,  while  walking  there,  as  though  he 
were  passing  through  the  corridors  of  some  huge 
fortress.     There  are   few  outside  windows  in  the 
houses,  and  even  these  are  either  grated  or  hidden 
by  projecting  lattices,  so  that  all  one  sees  are  unat- 
tractive walls  of  stone  rising  either  side  the  street. 
The  most  renowned  and  sacred  street  within  the 
Holy  City  is  the  Via  Dolorosa,  believed  by  many  to 
be  the  road  along  which  our  Savior  bore  the  cross 
to  Calvary.     Few  can  look  along  this  narrow  street, 
dim  with  many  an  arch,  worn  with  many  footsteps, 
picturesque  in  its  strangeness,  sacred  in  its  mem- 
ories,   without    finding   his    eyes    bedimmed    with 
tears.     Almost  every  foot  of  the  Via  Dolorosa  is 
consecrated  by  some  event  connected  with  the  path 
to  Calvary.    Thus,  one  spot  is  believed  to  indicate 
the  place  where  Jesus  took  the  cross  upon  his  shoul- 
ders; another  where  he  fell  in  weakness;  still  an- 


kM. 


JERUSALEM  AS  IT  IS  TODAY         91 

other  where  he  addressed  the  women  of  Jerusalem ; 
and  yet  another  where  Veronica  is  said  to  ha\o 
wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  brow.  Tradition 
is  sadly  commingled  with  truth  in  this  Holy  City, 
but  thoughtless  men  become  thoughtful  as  they 
tread  this  street,  once  trodden  by  the  Man  of  Sor- 
rows. 

As  one  walks  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem 
and  mingles  with  the  crowds  of  oriental  people  who 
throng  them,  a  score  of  things  before  his  eyes  illus- 
trate incidents  in  the  Bible.     He  sees  the  scribe  sit- 
ting at  his  table  on  the  street  corner,  with  brass  ink 
holder  thrust  through  his  girdle  and  reed  pen  in 
hand,  ready,  for  a  few  coins,  to  write  any  message 
that  one  may  bid  him ;  and  remembers  how  often 
these  men  are  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures.    He  sees 
the  money  changer  standing  by  his  covered  case  of 
coins,  ready  to  fleece  the  passerby  of  good  money 
and  give  in  exchange  the  most  worthless  coins  at 
his   command;    and    remembers    how    our    Savior 
drove  such  fellows  with  a  lash  of  knotted  cords  from 
the  temple. 

But  perhaps  the  lepers  bring  the  past  -most 
vividly  to  mind.  One  day,  in  leaving  the  Gar- 
den of  Gethscmane,  a  dozen  or  more  lepers 
stood  by  the  highwayside  begging.  There  they  were 
in  the  desolate  horror  of  their  repulsive  disease,  fin- 
gers having  dropped  in  many  cases  from  the 
hands,  toes  from  the  feet,  and  in  one  instance  the 
hands  from  the  wrists;  there  they  were,  stretching 
forth  their  lean,  bony  arms  toward  us  and  begging 


^  ^^?^j^^^^^!?i»:^ 


m 


92 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


¥  3 


ft*  I 

It  ' 


(1  ■; 


I 


fill 

Hi  I 


pitifully  for  bachsheesh.  They  fill  one  with  repul- 
sion, disgust  and  fear  that  is  almost  overpowering; 
but  wc  remembered  how  our  Savior  had  placed 
his  loving  hands  upon  them  and  healed  them,  send- 
ing them  to  their  homes  rejoicing.  Wonderful  love 
of  the  wonderful  Christ. 

Jerusalem  is  essentially  a  religious  city.  On  the 
streets  vou  will  meet  Armenian  priests,  Jewish 
rabbis,  Greek  priests  wearing  the  singular  black 
stovepipe  hat  with  the  rim  at  the  top,  and  many 
orders  of  Latin  priests,  while  ^Mohammedans  are 
everywhere,  counting  their  beads  or  saying  their 
prayers.  Jerusalem  has  "no  clubs,  no  bar-rooms,  no 
beer  gardens,  no  concert  halls,  no  theatres,  no  lec- 
ture rooms,  no  places  of  amusement,  no  street 
bands,  no  wandering  minstrels,  no  wealthy  or  upper 
classes,  no  mayor,  no  aldermen,  no  elections,  no 
newspajiers,  no  printing  presses,  no  book  stores,  no 
cheerfulness,  no  life.  No  one  sings,  no  one  dances, 
no  one  laughs  in  Jerusalem ;  even  the  children  do 
not  play."  (Lawrence  Hutton.)  It  seems  as  though 
the  shadow  of  the  Judgment  were  already  resting 
upon  that  city,  which,  1,900  years  ago,  put  to  death 
the  Son  of  God,  crying:  "His  blood  be  upon  us 
and  our  children." 

About  two-thirds  of  the  inhabitants  are  Jews,  and 
there  is  no  more  touching  sight  than  that  witnessed 
at  the  Jews'  Wailing  Place.  In  a  small  paved  court, 
iieside  some  ancient  masonry  which  was  once  ac- 
tually a  part  of  the  temple  wall,  we  saw  Hebrews  of 
all  countries  and  of  all  ages,  of  both  sexes,  rich  and 


i  P 


JERUSALEM  AS  IT  IS  TODAY 


93 


poor  alike,  with  their  open  Bibles  before  them, 
reading  the  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah  and  the 
mournful  words  of  Isaiah,  praying  to  Jehovah  for 
the  recovery  of  the  city  whose  glory  has  dci)arted, 
weeping  and  bewailing  the  desolation  that  has  be- 
fallen them.  They  kiss  those  stony  walls.  They 
beat  their  breasts;  they  tear  their  hair;  they  rend 
their  garments;  and  the  real  tears  that  they  shed 
come  from  their  h.earts  and  souls  as  well  as  from 
their  eyes.  One  cannot  but  pity  this  people  without 
a  country,  whose  sacred  city  is  held  by  the  unbe- 
liever and  whose  holy  temple  has  been  transformed 
into  a  ^Mohammedan  mosque.  Verily,  "the  way  of 
the  transgressor  is  hard." 

The  one  truly  beautiful  building  in  Jerusalem  is 
the   jNIosque  of  Omar,  which  stands  today  where 
the  temple  of  Solomon  once  stood.    Eight  handsome 
gateways  open  into  its  sacred  courtyard.    In  former 
times  black  dervishes  with  drawn  daggers  stood  day 
and  night  beside  these  gates  to  keep  the  sacred  pre- 
cinct unpolluted  by  the  infidel.     Until  recently  no 
Christian  was  allowed  to  set  foot  within  this  hal- 
lowed    area.       This    Mohammedan     mosque     was 
guarded  from  all  Christians  as  sacredly  as  the  Jew- 
ish temple  was  guarded  from  all  Gentiles.    But  now 
it  is  open  to  all.    The  immense  dome  of  this  mosque, 
ninety-six  feet  in  height,  is  "so  extremely  light  and 
buoyant  in  appearance  that  it  would  not  surprise 
the  traveler  much  to  see  it  rise  and  float  away  to- 
ward  heaven,    as    Mohammed    himself    is    said    to 
have  done  from  this  very  spot."    Within  this  build- 


94 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


1 1 
f  > 


Mm 


\Uii 


ing  are  marble  pavements,  wonderful  carvings  and 
pillars  of  fabulous  value;  while  in  the  centre,  just 
beneath  the  mighty  dome  is— what?  A  precious 
shrine?  By  no  means.  Some  noble  work  of  art? 
Not  at  all.  What  then  ?  A  bare,  rough  rock,  fifty- 
six  feet  in  length  and  forty  feet  in  breadth,  without 
a  particle  of  decoration  on  its  surface.  "What!" 
wo  exclaim,  "is  it  to  guard  a  mass  of  unhewn  stone 
that  this  magnificent  temple  has  been  reared,  while 
these  rich  columns  stand  in  silent  reverence?"  In- 
credible as  it  seems,  such  is  the  fact.  This  rude  rock 
is  one  of  the  most  sacred  places  in  the  world.  It 
was  revered  when  Abraham  and  David  knelt  on  it 
in  prayer,  when  the  ark  of  the  covenant  rested  on 
its  summit.  Here  stood  the  temple  of  Solomon  and 
Herod ;  the  receptacles  for  the  sacrificial  blood  still 
remain  carved  in  the  solid  stone.  From-  that  temple 
the  Son  of  ^lan  drove  those  who  would  have  turned 
that  place  of  prayer  into  a  den  of  thieves.  But 
round  about  this  sacred  rock  today  there  cluster 
many  absurd  traditions.  Thus  we  had  pointed  out 
to  us  upon  its  surface  the  very  spots  where  Abra- 
ham, David,  Solomon  and  Elijah  knelt  to  pray. 
Mohammed  also  prayed  there,  and  with  such  ear- 
nestness that  when  he  ascended  thence  to  heaven, 
the  rock,  it  is  related,  started  to  follow  him  and  was 
only  held  back  by  the  angel  Gabriel.  If  any  dare 
dispute  this  wondrous  tale  he  is  straightway  silenced 
by  being  shown  the  angel's  finger-pri^^c  upon  the 
rock !  Q.  E.  D. 
Another  building  entirely  lacking  ii     .rchitectural 


mi 


*  t 


JERUSALEM  AS  IT  IS  TODAY 


95 


beauty,  but  even  more  interesting  to  the  Christian 
than  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  is  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre.  It  is  supposed  to  cover  the  tomb 
of  Ch.ist,  and  many  other  sacred  spots  are  pointed 
out.  "Its  enormous  roof  covers  a  multitude  of  altars, 
chapels,  stairways,  caves  and  natural  elevations ; 
and  under  this  one  canopy,  as  if  miraculously  con- 
centrated into  a  small  area,  are  gathered  almost  all 
the  places  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  which  could  by 
any  possibility  be  located  in  Jerusalem."  Crossing 
the  threshold  of  this  sacred  edifice,  pressing  our 
way  through  the  crowds  of  pilgrims  that  always 
seem  to  throng  the  place,  we  saw  a  line  of  gilded 
lamps  and  under  these  a  smooth,  white  stone. 
"What  is  this?"  we  inquired  in  a  whisper  of  our 
guide.  "It  is  the  Stone  of  Unction,"  he  replied,  "on 
which  the  body  of  Jesus  was  placed  by  Nicodemus 
to  be  anointed  for  burial."  While  we  were  looking 
at  this  slab  a  Russian  crept  up  on  his  knees  and 
carefully  measured  it  with  a  string  amid  repeated 
kisses.  'Why  does  he  do  that?"  we  asked.  "He  is 
measuring  it,"  was  the  reply,  "in  order  to  have  his 
winding  sheet  made  of  precisely  the  same  dimen- 
sions." From  chapel  to  chapel,  from  holy  place  to 
holy  place,  we  wandered  in  this  great  church,  find- 
ing crowds  of  worshipers  everywhere,  and  yet 
grieved  to  see  that  superstition  had  crowded  out  all 
true  spiritual  devotion  from  the  hearts  of  the  ma- 
jority. The  hundreds  were  crossing  themselves, 
chanting  hymns,  lighting  tapers,  bowing  before 
altars,  counting  beads,  mumbling  prayers,  prostrat- 


96 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


!  i 

If 


I 


,1 


n 


i    !' 


It 


3    f  1     J 


^Mlii.l 


ing  themselves  till  their  foreheads  touched  the 
ground,  but  seemed  to  have  forgotten  that  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  must  worship  "in  spirit  and  in 
truth."  Beside  one  of  the  most  sacred  altars  I  saw 
a  little  girl  kneel  with  a  most  devout  expression 
upon  her  face.  Scarcely  had  she  begun  her  prayers 
when  an  old  Greek  pilgrim  rudely  pushed  her  away 
with  his  foot,  and  kneeling  in  her  place  began  his 
own  devotions,  while  the  poor  child  stood  patiently 
aside  till  he  had  finished.  This  occurred  in  the 
chapel  of  the  crucifixion.  Could  the  prayers  of  that 
selfish  pilgrim  have  been  acceptable  to  Him  who 
said:  "Sufter  little  children  to  come  unto  me  and 
forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ?" 

The  one  spot  of  deepest  interest  in  this  great 
church  is  the  place  of  our  Lord's  Sepulchre.  When 
we  came  to  it  the  Latin  priests  were  standing  in 
front  of  it,  and  with  deep,  rich  voices  were  singing 
in  triumphant  strains  the  glorious  hymns  of  the 
resurrection.  When  at  last  our  turn  came  to  enter 
the  tomb  we  found  it  "no  larger  than  a  monk's  cell," 
and  we  had  almost  to  do  as  Peter  and  Jolin  did, 
"stoop  down"  to  enter  it.  Here  was  the  new 
sepulchre  wherein  was  never  man  laid  till  it  received 
the  body  of  our  Lord.  The  old  rock  cavity  is  now 
covered  with  gorgeous  marbles  worn  as  smooth  as 
glass  by  the  kisses  of  millions.  Within  those  nar- 
row walls  what  prayers  have  been  offered  and  what 
tears  have  been  shed!  A  devout  traveler  (H.  M. 
Field)  says,  as  he  knelt  and  bowed  his  head  on  that 


lijiil 


JERUSALEiM  AS  IT  IS  TODAY         97 

cold  stone,  it  seemed  as  if  he  laid  both  head  and 
heart  upon  a  coflfin  lid  which  had  suddenly  closed  on 
a  beloved  form  and  face.  So  have  come  generations 
of  the  broken-hearted  and  poured  out  their  tears  on 
the  tomb  of  the  Crucified.  Here  kings  and  em- 
perors, with  millions  of  every  rank  and  of  forty  or 
fifty  generations;  have  knelt  and  prayed,  and  sobbed 
and  wept,  for  those  who  are  gone  not  to  return.  But 
from  this  narrow  tomb  there  came  a  hope  as  broad 
as  the  universe — the  hope  of  resurrection  through 
Jesus  Christ.  "Now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead." 
In  the  presence  of  deepest  sorrow  we  console  our- 
selves with  this  thought :  "If  we  believe  that  Jesus 
died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  also  which  sleep 
in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him." 

Every  day  in  Jerusalem  was  a  golden  day.  We 
visited  the  Mount  of  Olives,  from  whose  summit  the 
clouds  received  our  blessed  Lord  as  he  ascended; 
we  went  to  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane  and  saw 
those  ancient  olive  trees  whose  limbs  and  branches 
are  still  twisted  and  gnarled,  as  though  in  sympathy 
with  the  agony  of  Him  who  knelt  there  at  midnight 
and  prayed  till  he  "sweat  as  it  were  great  drops  of 
blood  running  down  to  the  ground" ;  we  entered  the 
upper  room  in  which  tradition  foolishly  declares  that 
Jesus  partook  of  the  last  supper  with  his  disciples  , 
we  went  along  the  Via  Dolorosa,  passed  out  through 
the  Damascus  Gate  and  there,  just  before  us,  we 
saw  that 


98 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


I  I 

!! 

11 


1 


\ 


f   > 


ills 


^  :" 


"Green  hill  far  away, 

Outside  the  city  wall, 
Where  our  dear  Lord  was  crucified, 

Who  died  to  save  us  all." 
I  spent  an  hour  alone  upon  Mount  Calvary.    Cal- 
vary is  not  much  to  sec  today — simply  a  limestone 
knoll,   covered   with   a  mantle   of   green  grass,   in 
which  many  a  crimson  flower  grows  like  spots  of 
blood,  and  dotted  with  the  tombstones  of  a  Moham- 
medan cemetery.     But  as  I  sat  there  in  the  soft 
twilight  and  read  the  bst  chapter  of  my  Savior's 
life,  how  vividly  the  past  came  back  again !     There 
was  the  garden  where  he  had  prayed,  the  courts 
where  he  was  tried,  the  street  along  which  he  stag- 
gered 'neath  the  cross,  the  gate  through  which  he 
came.     I   could  see  the  mob  and  hear  them   cry, 
"Crucify  him !  crucify  him !"    They  came  to  the  hill 
upon  which  I  sat.     They  nailed  him  to  the  cross; 
there  was  my  Lord  (lying  for  me !    It  seemed  that  1 
could  see  his  face.    Do  you  wonder  that  I  threw  my- 
self at  his  feet  ?    That  I  wept  like  a  child  and  kissed 
the  very  rocks  ?  Wonder  not.   Any  Christian  with  a 
heart  of  flesh  w^ould  do  the  same.     'Twas  there  my 
Savior  died  for  me.     That  was  not  only  the  most 
sacred  hour  of  my  pilgrimage,  it  was  the  holiest  ex- 
perience of  my  life.    A  new  meaning  there  came  into 
those  beautiful  words : 

"In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory. 

Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time ; 
All  the  light  of  sacred  story 

Gathers  round  its  herd  sublime." 


.1  :k 


CHAPTER  IX 


BETHLEIIEiM 

"Though   Christ  in   Bethlehem,  a  thousand  times  l>e  born, 
If  he's  not  bom  in  thcc,  then  thuu  art  still  forlorn." 

Uctlilehem  is  to  all  the  world  one  of  the  sweetest 
of  words.  It  is  the  city  of  the  Holy  Land  whose 
name  children  first  learn;  it  is  the  last  name  we 
would  forget.  A  tender  and  romantic  interest  is 
thrown  about  this  city  as  the  burial  place  of  Rachel, 
as  tl'.e  scene  of  Ruth's  gleaning  and  love,  of  David's 
boyhood  and  kingly  consecration.  Xo  place  was  so 
fit  to  be  the  birthplace  of  the  Child  Divine.  When 
we  think  of  Bethlehem  we  think  of  a  city  umler  ihe 
cover  of  night,  whose  tlarkness  is  dispelled  by  the 
gleain  of  angels'  wings,  and  whose  glocni  is  dissi- 
pated by  their  songs.  From  the  first  moment  the 
traveler  arrives  in  the  Holy  Land  he  longs  to  visit 
Bethlehem.  One  weeps  with  sorrow  over  Jerusa- 
lem, but  he  weeps  for  joy  in  Bethlehem!  There 
Christ  was  crucified ;  here  he  was  born.  There  was 
Calvary  ;  here  was  \ativity.  There  was  the  grave ; 
here  was  the  manger.  One  of  the  most  beautiful 
flowers  of  Palestine  is  called  the  Star  of  Bethlehem. 
Its  fragiance  is  as  sweet  as  an  angel's  breath,  its 
five  petals  arc  of  pure  white  and.  gleam  with  the  ra- 

09 


^mw>w^^'T^^.x  is^m^mim-j^^^^^^^^mi'^^m^ 


^ 


fill ! 


15  ;;  > 
t?  I'.  1 

111/ 

-  I     ■ 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


lOO 

diance  of  a  star.  It  is  a  fit  emblem  of  that  virgin 
mother  and  of  that  sinless  chiUl,  of  that  city  over 
which  hung  the  shining  star.  The  eH.lcm  of  Jeru- 
salem is  a  crimson  anemone  which  is  scattered  all 
over  the  land  like  drops  of  blood. 

We  drove  from  Jerusalem  down  to  Bethlehem,  a 
distance  of  about  six  miles,  in  carriages.  Up  and 
down  we  go  among  the  stony  hills,  across  a  stony 
landscape,  with  stone  walls  inclosing  httle  fields 
scattered  with  stones  between  which  the  barley  was 
pushing  its  wa%,  and  stone  terraces  supportmg  a 
few  olive  trees  that  seem  to  thrive  on  stones,  and 
hilltops  that  are  stonier  still,  so  that  nothmg  but 
sheep  and  goats  could  have  the  patience  to  search 
for  the  scanty  grass.  Within  a  mile  of  the  gate  of 
Bethlehem  we  came  to  the  tomb  of  Rachel  standmg 

bv  the  highway. 
'  We  mav  be  almost  certain  that  this  is  the  very 
place  where  Ra^cl   was  buried  "on  the  way  to 
Bethlehem"  nearly  4,000  years  ago.    A  small,  square 
L  lilding  of  stone  surmounted  by  a  dome,  the  whole 
covered  with  plaster  and  whitewash,  contaunng  a 
tomb  of  the  ordinary  Mohammedan  form,  now  cov- 
ers whatever  remains  of  an  ancient  monument  may 
be  there     For  Mohammedans  and  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians alike  have  shed  their  tears  upon  this  dust  and 
have  clone  honor  to  the  place  where  a  mourning 
husband  first  erected  a  monument  to  the  memory  of 
his  departed  v.-ife. 

This  tomb  of  Rachel  is  now  surrounded  by  a  Mo- 
hammedan cemetery,  and  every  Thursday  the  trav- 


^^E^^^s;^ 


BETHLEHEM 


101 


eler  may  see  a  great  concourse  of  women  clad  in 
white  gathered  among  these  graves  sitting  in  cir- 
cles about  the  last  resting  place  of  their  friends, 
swaying  bodies  to  and  fro,  mourning  aloud,  weep- 
ing and  wailing,  "refusing  to  be  comforted  because 
they  are  not."  Their  mourning  is  that  of  those  who 
have  "no  hope,"  for  they  know  not  that  the  Babe 
who  was  born  yonder  in  Bethlehem  is  Jesus  the 
Son  of  God ;  that  he  hath  both  died  and  has  risen 
again,  that  those  ho  trust  in  him  may  say  even 
amid  their  tears  "Oh  death  where  is  thy  sting?  Oh 
grave  where  is  thy  victory?"  But  we  have  already 
lingered  too  long  at  Rachel's  tomb,  let  us  hasten  for- 
ward to  Bethlehem  itself. 

Perched  upon  a  hillside  Bethlehem  presents  a 
most  picturesque  appearance.  The  word  Bethlehem 
means  "house  of  bread"  or  place  of  plenty,  and 
although  the  place  is  desperately  stony  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  fig  and  olive  orchards,  while  fields  of 
barley  may  be  seen  in  the  valley.  It  is  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  prosperous  villages  in  Palestine, 
having  a  population  of  about  6,000.  The  houses  of 
yellowish-white  with  red-tiled  roofs  present  a 
pretty  appearance,  especially  from  a  distance.  But 
now  our  carriages  are  rattling  down  the  hillside 
and  we  are  in  the  midst  of  Bethlehem.  No  sooner 
do  we  alight  than  we  are  surrounded  by  a  throng 
of  people  offering  every  sort  of  sacred  trinket  for 
sale ;  carvings  of  olive  wood  and  ivory  and  mother- 
of-pearl,  crosses  and  crucifixes,  beads  in  endless 
variety,    for  the    {X'ople    of    Bethlehem    today    live 


\:^A 


I02 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


r 


I. 


1^ 


;  1 


,1 


1*1 


m-  \ 


Hii 


».  i  1 » , '. 

\$' 

{■1- 


largely  by  the  selling  of  these  souvenirs  to  pilgrin-s. 
Especially  beautiful  are  the  mother-of-pearl  carv- 
ings representing  the  birth  of  Christ.  Now  we 
are  in  the  public  square,  a  busy  place  thronging  with 
eastern  merchants  and  camels  and  shepherds.  Just 
before  us  is  the  Church  of  the  Nativity,  believed  uy 
many  to  stand  upon  the  very  place  where  Christ  was 
bom. 

Before  we  enter  let  us  stand  a  few  moments  in 
this  hillside  market  place  and  look  eastward  out 
across  the  hills  that  slope  down  in  many  a  deep  ra- 
vine and  rocky  gorge  toward  the  Dead  Sea.  At  our 
feet  lies  a  valley  with  sloping  hillsides  tinged  with 
green  from  which  arise  many  memories  of  the  past. 

In  this  valley  of  Bethlehem  occurred  the  romance 
of  Ruth  and  lioaz,  one  of  the  most  charming  love 
stories  of  the  Bible.  From  that  land  of  Moab. 
whose  blue  mountains  you  can  see  away  on  the 
horizon  beyond  the  Dead  Sea,  Ruth,  the  Moabitcss. 
came  with  the  widowed  Naomi.  There  is  nothing 
in  literature  more  touching  than  Ruth's  reply  when 
Naomi  bade  her  return  to  her  own  people.  "And 
Ruth  said.  EiUreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  or  to  re- 
turn from  following  after  thee;  for  whither  thou 
goest  I  will  go.  and  where  thou  lodgest,  I  will 
lodse ;  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God 
my  God ;  where  thou  diest  I  will  die,  and  there  will 
I  lie  l)uried ;  the  Lord  do  so  to  me  and  more  also  if 
aught  but  death  part  me  and  thee."  And  so  out  of 
pure  Icn-e  for  her  first  husband's  mother  she  came  to 
Bethlehem,  little  dreaming  that  here  she  should  find 


A'S'j'.i^siJR^Jwr'' 


BETHLEHEM 


103 


another  husband,  become  the  mother  of  kings,  and 
more  wonderful  still  that  she  should  thus  become 
the  ancestress  of  Jesus.     The  Book  of  Ruth  is  an 
exquisite  idyl  which  cannot  be  abbreviated  without 
marring  its  unequaled  beauty  and  pathos.     But  as 
you  gaze  upon  that  valley  of  Bethlehem  that  sweet 
story  returns  to  your  mind,  for  there  it  was  thai 
Ruth  won  the  heart  of  Boaz  as  she  gleaned  the 
golden  treasures  of  the  field.     Were  this  the  proper 
season  of  the  year  you  would  see  the  reapers  in  the 
fields  with  their  crooked  sickles  cutting  the  barley 
while  maidens  follow  them  gleaning  the  treasures 
that  are  overlooked,  just  as  Ruth  followed  the  reap- 
ers of  Boaz  in  those  very  fields  thousands  of  years 
ago.    And  lu  the  evening  you  might  see  some  weary 
maiden  sitting  under  an  olive  tree  or  by  the  wayside 
beating  out  the  grain  that  she  had  gathered  just  as 
did  Ruth.     And  when  you  see  the  long,  wide  piece 
of  cotton  cloth  which  these  maidens  wear  upon  the 
head,  yen  will  understand  what  is  meant  whore  the 
Scriptures  declare  that  Boaz  measured  six  measures 
of  barley  and  put  it  into  Ruth's  veil.    The  very  salu- 
tations that  passed  between  Boaz  and  his  reapers 
may  be  heard  there  to-day,  for  "The  Ix.rd  be  with 
thee"  is  still  the  ordinary  greeting,  and  "The  Lord 
l)less   thee"   is   the   response.     The   story   of   Ruth 
glows  with  new  luster  as  you  gaze  upon  those  fields 
of  Bethlehem. 

Here  also  David  lived  with  Jesse,  his  father. 
Upon  these  hills  he  tended  his  sheep  with  his  rod 
and  staff  in  hand  and  his  cloak  thrown  across  his 


:;i^^^^msmL^m^. 


104 


PILGRBI  SERMONS 


:  ft  I*. 


i!i? 


shoulder  like  yonder  shepherd  boy  upon  the  hill- 
side. To  Bethlehem  Samuel,  the  prophet,  came 
seekin^  a  kinc;  for  Israel,  and  declaring  that  he 
must  come  from  the  family  of  Jesse.  One  by  one 
the  sons  of  Jesse  passed  before  the  prophet,  but 
none  of  them  was  chosen.  Then  the  man  of  God 
inquired  if  there  was  not  another  son.  "Yes,"  re- 
plied Jesse,  'ihere  is  a  boy  in  the  fields  watching 
sheep."  And  when  David  came  in  with  the  gloss 
of  the  sun  upon  his  cheeks  and  the  scent  of  the 
flocks  on  his  clothes  Samuel  declared,  "This  is  the 
king  of  Israel !" 

This  boy  of  Bethlehem  was  a  born  poet.  By  his 
verses  this  village  and  the  surrounding  country 
have  become  classic  ground.  "This  sweet  singer  of 
Israel  has  exerted  a  wider  influence  upon  mankind 
than  any  other  amongst  the  sons  of  song,  and  this 
influence  will  continue  to  expand  and  deepen  until 
the  end  of  time."  David's  poetry  has  been  more  often 
quoted  than  that  of  all  the  other  poets  of  the  world. 
Countless  numbers  of  people  have  been  strength- 
ened and  comforted  by  David's  psalms,  and  with 
his  words  upon  their  lips  they  have  marched  tri- 
umphantly through  the  dark  valley  to  the  light  of 
heaven.  The  scenery  of  Bethlehem  recurs  frequent- 
ly in  these  psalms.  These  hills,  mountains,  dark 
gorges,  these  "cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills,"  these 
shining  stars  and  snowy  sheep  appear  again  and 
again  in  his  rich  verses.  Long  after  he  had  left 
Bethlehem  and  become  great  his  humble  home  and 
shepherd  life  lived  in  his  heart,  just  as  the  memories 


II A I 


^Mm^m^"^ 


^'j'^^lc*/ 


lJfcrt*.v- 


BETHLEHEiM 


105 


of  your  early  home  live  forever  in  your  mind.  For 
example,  long  years  after  he  was  crowned  king, 
when  the  crown  sat  uneasy  on  his  brow,  David  sat 
in  the  twilight  one  night  and  thought  of  the  days 
when  he  was  minding  sheep,  how  tenderly  he  cared 
for  the  wounded,  how  lovingly  he  looked  after  the 
little  lambs ;  then  as  he  thought  of  the  enemies  that 
surrounded  him  and  the  dangers  that  faced  him,  he 
exciaimed  "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;  I  shall  not 
want,"  and  a  smile  spread  over  his  careworn  fea- 
tures as  he  wrote  that  little  psalm  which  has  come 
singing  its  way  down  through  all  the  ages  to  the 
joy  of  many  a  wounded  heart  and  has  driven  the 
clouds  from  man'  a  dark  and  overshadowed  life. 

Having  viewer  these  historic  hills  let  us  enter  this 
Church  of  the  \ativity,  which  commemorates  the 
birth  of  Christ,  the  one  who  above  all  others  was 
the  star  of  Bethlehem.  Hundreds  of  years  before 
he  was  born  the  prophet  had  said,  "And  thou  Beth- 
lehem, in  the  land  of  Judah,  art  not  the  least  among 
the  princes  of  Judah ;  for  out  of  thee  shall  come  a 
governor  that  shall  rule  my  people  Israel."  Harken 
now  to  the  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy  recorded 
centuries  afterward :  "And  Joseph  went  up  unto 
Bethlehem,  with  Mary,  his  espoused  wife,  and  while 
they  were  there  she  brought  forth  her  first-born  son 
and  wrapped  him  in  swaddling  clothes,  and  laid  him 
in  a  manger,  because  there  was  no  room  for  them  in 
the  inn."  Thus  is  recorded  the  most  important 
event  in  the  history  of  man.  The  very  simplicity 
of  the  story  stamps  it  divine. 


Wg.  f^fg^ 


^l^V^-T*-^^  .i;<-.ii&^7]iiifr^*. 


io6 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


f  iilf 


Ha  ^■ 
I  hi'-  ' 


They  lay  the  Child  Divine  in  a  manger  because 
there  was  no  room  for  him  in  the  inn,  for  Bethle- 
hem was  crowded  with  those  who  had  come  up  to 
be  enrolled  according  to  Caesar's  command.  The 
"inn"  referred  to  was  probably  a  guest  chamber 
such  as  is  found  in  every  village  of  Palestine  to- 
day— a  place  for  the  free  entertainment  of  guests. 
I  visited  the  guest  chamber  both  at  Bethel  and 
at  Sinjil,  and  it  greatly  illuminated  the  narrative  of 
the  birth  of  Christ.  In  those  simple  homes  the 
family  and  the  cattle  live  beneath  the  same  roof, 
indeed  they  live  in  the  same  room,  for  there  is  no 
partition,  the  only  distinction  between  the  home  and 
the  stable  being  that  the  people  live  upon  a  raised 
platform  while  the  cattle  are  below.  Imagine  a 
small  stone  house  with  a  single  dimly  lighted  room, 
one-half  of  which  is  raised  like  a  pulpit  platform, 
while  the  other  is  lower  like  the  floor.  Upon  this 
platform  the  family  lives,  below  live  their  cattle. 
Such  was  the  inn  in  which  Jesus  was  born.  When 
Joseph  and  Mary  arrived  the  platform  was  covered 
with  the  forms  of  sleeping  people,  so  they  found 
shelter  in  the  stable  below  and  lay  down  weary  upon 
the  clean  straw  strewn  upon  the  floor.  There  Jesus 
was  born  and  "laid  in  a  manger,"  a  strange  cradle 
for  the  Son  of  God !  Along  the  edge  of  this  raised 
platform  is  son.etimes  built  a  long,  stone  trough  in 
which,  when  not  crowded  with  the  heads  of  feeding 
cattle,  children  are  laid  down  to  sleep  as  the  most 
convenient  place  of  rest  and  for  safety,  as  its  depth 
makes  it  a  secure  cradle,  in  which  a  child  would  be 


BETHLEHEM 


107 


I 


as  secure  from  falling  as  in  its  mother's  arms.  Dr. 
Henry  Al.  l^ield  visited  just  such  an  uni  designed 
for  the  use  of  pilgrims  on  the  slopes  of  Lebanon,  and 
at  the  moment  he  entered  "there  was  a  child  sleep- 
ing quietly  in  this  stone  manger,  which  gave  an  ex- 
act nnage  of  the  manger  cradle  of  Bethlehem  in 
which  they  laid  the  holy  Child  Jesus."  Such  were 
the  circumstances,  1  believe,  that  surrounded  the 
birth  of  Christ,  and  if  so,  the  manger  and  the  inn 
made  sacred  by  that  event  must  undoubtedly  have 
been  destroyed,  for  Bethlehem  has  been  more  than 
once  razed  to  the  ground  since  the  days  of  Herod. 

But  there  is  an  old  tradition  that  Jesus  was  born 
in  a  cave  of  stone,  and  to  this  we  owe  the  Church  of 
the  Nativity,  which  is  ])uilt  over  the  sacred  grotto. 
This  church  is  the  most  ancient  church  in  the  world 
today,  an(l  the  tradition  is  older  still  for  it  dates 
back  to  the  second  century.  Justin  Martyr,  who  was 
born  but  a  lew  years  after  John,  the  last  of  the 
Apostles,  was  in  his  grave,  speaks  of  the  birth  of 
Christ  as  iiaving  taken  place  m  a  cave  near  Bethle- 
hem. From  that  day  until  this  the  tradition  has  con- 
tinued, so  that  this  ancient  church  is  one  of  the  most 
sacred  shrines  in  all  the  earth.  With  feelings  of  awe 
we  entered  this  church  which  is   1.500  years  old. 

The  walls  were  once  adorned  with  mosaics,  but 
only  fragments  of  them  remain.  The  roof  is  de- 
cayed and  Icakv,  for  the  Turks  once  tore  off  the  lead 
to  make  bullets  for  their  rifles.  The  pavement  is 
uneven  and  broken.  We  dcsccnrl  a  winding  fliglit 
of  stairs  and  pass  along  gloomy  passages  with  glis- 


1  . 


It 


:l>t 


'I    t 
U  f 


I 


f  'I  -  t 


io8 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


tening  walls  of  rock  illuminated  by  hanging  lamps. 
We  pass  by  shrines  and  pictures  and  tombs  of  saints 
and  come  into  the  place  of  places,  the  very  Chapel  of 
the  Nativity,  It  is  like  any  other  grotto  or  cave,  with 
a  low  roof  only  ten  feet  high,  and  would  be  quite 
dark  were  it  not  for  the  number  of  costly  lamps  that 
cast  their  light  upon  the  marble  pavement,  in  which 
the  most  brilliant  object  is  a  silver  star  that  is  sup- 
posed to  mark  the  very  spot  where  our  Lord  came 
into  the  world.  Encircling  it  is  the  inscription: 
"Here  Jesus  Christ  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary." 
Opposite  this  is  another  altar  covering  the  supposed 
place  of  the  manger.  The  manger  itself  was  taken 
to  Rome  and  is  treasured  in  the  Church  of  Santa 
Maria  Maggiore,  where  once  a  year  it  is  exhibited 
by  the  Pope  to  crowds  of  worshipers.  A  number 
of  nuns  were  kneeling  upon  the  stone  pavement  in 
silent  prayer,  their  black-robed  fig^Jres  as  motionless 
as  statues.  A  spirit  of  prayer  seemed  to  pervade  the 
place. 

As  I  stood  there  I  was  most  deeply  im- 
pressed, and  felt  for  the  moment  that  this  was  in- 
deed the  very  place  where  Jesus  was  born.  Other 
pilgrims  were  entering ;  rude  men  and  women  from 
Russia  and  Siberia  whom  we  saw  as  we  came  out 
from  Jerusalem  trudging  along  the  road  toward 
Bethlehem,  staffs  in  hand  and  songs  upon  their  lips. 
They  fell  upon  their  knees  before  the  altar;  they 
bowed  their  heads  in  prayer ;  they  kissed  the  sacred 
spot  marked  by  the  silver  star;  their  tears  fell  upon 
the  pavement;  they  lifted  their  eyes  to  heaven  and 


i    (til i 
I    >    ill 


BETHLEHEM 


109 


their  lips  moved  silently.  I,  too,  sought  out  a  quiet 
corner  and  bowed  myself  in  prayer  with  these  pious 
pilgrims  and  these  saintly  nuns,  praying  that  Jesus 
might  be  born  anew  within  my  heart,  and  thanking 
him  that  there  is  at  least  one  place  on  earth  where  all 
creeds  vanish  while  Protestants,  Catholics  and 
Greeks  kneel  side  by  side  at  the  birthplace  of  him 
who  prayed  that  they  might  "be  one"  as  he  is  one 
with  the  father.  God  grant  that  the  time  soon  may 
come  v.hen  not  only  at  Bethlehem  but  throughout 
the  world  barriers  of  prejudice  may  be  broken  down 
and  bonds  of  charity  formed  by  which  all  Christians 
may  be  one,  and  that  together  they  may  bow  before 
and  every  tongue  confess  that  Jesus  is  Lord  to  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father. 

Darkness  was  gathering  over  those  hills  of  Bethle- 
hem when  with  moist  eyes  we  came  forth  from  that 
church.  And  as  we  drove  away  we  wondered  upon 
which  of  those  starlit  hills  the  shepherds  watched 
their  flocks  by  night  when  they  heard  a  multitude 
of  the  heavenly  host  praising  God  and  singing 
"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest ;  on  earth,  peace,  good- 
will toward  men."  Our  hearts  were  too  full  of  sa- 
cred thoughts  for  our  lips  to  utter  many  words,  but 
as  we  drew  near  Jerusalem  I  bade  my  comrades  look 
back,  for  there  was  the  evening  star  hanging  with 
wonderful  brilliancy  directly  over  the  city  of  Bethle- 
hem, as  hung  the  star  the  Wise  Men  saw  two  thou- 
sand years  ago. 


'i    ' 
i 


>:  ! 


f  ilil! 


CHAPTER  X 
THE  RIVER  JORDAN 
The  Jordan  is  the  most  interesting  river  on  earth. 
"There  are  hundreds  of  other  streams  more  large, 
more  useful  or  more  heautiful ;  there  is  none  which 
has  been  more  spoken  about  by  mankmd.       Other 
rivers  have  awakened  a  richer  poetry  in  the  peoples 
through  whom  they  pass,  but  of  none  has  the  nmsic 
sounded  so  far  or  so  pleasantly  across  the  world. 
There  are  holy  waters  which  annually   attract  to 
themselves  a  greater  number  of  pilgrims,  but  there 
is  none  to  which  pilgrims  travel  from  such  various 
and  distant  lands."    Even  the  Nile  is  surpassed  in 
interest  bv  the  Jordan.    To  half  the  world  the  short, 
thin  thread  of  the  Jordan  is  the  symbol  of  the  two 
greatest  experiences  of  the  soul— the  waters  of  bap- 
tism   through    which   the    soul    passes    into    God's 
church  rmd'the  waters  of  death  through  which  the 
soul  passes  into  God's  country. 

Now  I  wish  that  I  could  describe  that  river  to 
you  so  vividlv  that  you  could  stand  by  its  fountains, 
see  its  blue  lakes  and  hear  its  mournful  song  as  it 
hurries  toward  the  sea  of  death.  The  Jordan  Valley 
is  unique.  George  Adam  Smith  says :  "There  may 
be  something  to  match  it  on  another  planet ;  there  is 
nothing  on  this."    It  seems  as  though  Mother  Na- 

110 


SM^'ji- 


^?fr:A 


THE  RIVER  JORDAN 


III 


ture  had  been  digging  her  own  grave  in  that  Holy 
Land;  for  there  you  find  a    huge  trench,  1,300  feet 
deep,  160  miles  long  and  from  2  to  15  miles  broad. 
Through  this  trench  there  flows  the  Jordan.     Is  it 
not  true  that  on  the  earth  there  is  nothing  else  like 
this  deep,  colossal  ditch?     Away  to  tho  north  the 
Jordan  rises,  in  three  great  springs  that  gush  from 
the  foot  of  Mount  Hermon — waters  as  clear  as  crys- 
tal and   as   cold  as  ice,   fed   by   Hermon 's   eternal 
snows.     There  at  the  foot  of  a  cliff,  near  a  grotto 
once  sacred  to  Pan,  I  saw  a  full  grown  river  thiny 
feet  in  width  bursting  and  bubbling  from  the  rocks 
and  boulders,  and  go  singing  its  way  along  through 
shores  that  are  tangled  with  trees.    This  is  the  birth- 
place of  the  River  Jordan.    Like  .\dani,  it  knows  no 
childhood.     He  came  into  the  earth  a   full  grown 
man,  and  it  springs  from  the  mountain  a  full  grown 
river.    "The  Jordan  is  the  crookcdest  river  what  is," 
is  the  homely  but  forcible  exi)ression  of  the  English 
expedition  that  exj         i  its  banks.    The  name  "Jor  • 
dan"  means  "down     jmer,"  and  its  character  an- 
swers to  its  name.   Down  through  fertile  mead 
it  plows,  past  shores  that  are  lined  with  papyrus 
reeds,   widening  out   into  the  waters   of   Merom, 
plunging  down  a  rocky  gorge,  pouring  itself  in  foam 
and  spray  into  a  basin  amid  the  hills,  where  it  be- 
comes "Galilee,  blue  Galilee,"  which  for  twelve  miles 
reflects  the  hilltops  in  its  bosom ;  then  flowing  out 
into  a  great  gorge,  in  which  it  is  so  disturbed  by  ed- 
dies and  currents  and  cataracts  that  it  wanders  about 
like  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,   its 


.^;i£i.;,&^,,,v.^L..%: 


n 

m 


if 

h 

»  I. 


iiiii 


If 


iiii 


l    ;•! 


•§. 


I 


„a  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

waters  become  muddy  as  they  straggle  along  through 
the  ugly  mudbank,  and  it  moans  its  tortuous  way 
along  until  at  last,  with  a  dying  sob,  xt  flows  into 
the  Dead  Sea,  from  which  "it  goes  no  more  out  for- 

ever."  ,  ,,,  , 

Stand  upon  one  of  the  neighbormg  hdltops  and 
look  down  upon  Jordan.     With  jungle  on  either 
side,  it  trails  and  winds  along  "like  an  enormous 
green  serpent."     Remember  that  geologists  tell  us 
that  this  deep  valley  was  once  a  groove  m  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sea,  and  you  will  be  prepared  for  its  un- 
couthncss.     In  many  parts  there  are  mounds  and 
ridges  of  mud.  salt  and  greasy ;  iu  others  stretches 
of  gravel,  sand  and  clay,  the  remains  of  an  old  sea 
bottom,  giving  the  valley  a  most  desolate  aspect. 
But  in  the  springtime  the  vegetation  is  extremely 
rank      Flowers  rise  to  the  knee,  herbage  to  the 
shoulder.    Along  the  river  bank  are  brakes  of  cane 
and   oleander.      Swamps   filled   with    verdure   and 
malaria  abound.     The  heat  is  that  of  an  oven ;  so 
great  that  in  all  the  ages  but  few  people  have  ven- 
tured to  make  their  homes  on  the  banks  of  the  Jor- 
dan.   Through  this  vale,  between  shores  now  un- 
sightlv  with  mudbanks  or  beds  of  gravel  foul  with 
ooze  and  slime,  the  Jordan  flows.    Dead  driftwood 
i.  everywhere  in  sight.    Large  trees  lie  about  over- 
thrown, and  the  exposed  roots  and  lower  trunks  o 
trees  still  standing  are  smeared  with  mud.     As  it 
nears  the  Dead  Sea  the  valley  widens  into  an  almost 
sterile  plain,  whitened  with  salt  and  cracked  with 
heat     Through  such  scenes  the  Jordan  glides  along. 


THE  RIVER  rORDAN 


"3 


"noisily  silent  and  black  in  spite  of  its  speed,  but 
now  jnd  then  breaking  into  praise  and  whitening 
into  Loam,  muddy  between  banks  of  mud,  careless 
of  beau.y,  careless  of  life,"  but  nevertheless  doing 
the  work  that  the  Almif^iity  has  given  it  to  do,  a 
work  v/hich  for  aj,^es  by  the  decree  of  God  has  been 
that  of  separation. 

But  if  we  are  disappointed  in  the  appearance  of 
this  river,  we  will  in  turn  be  fascinated  with  its  his- 
tory. We  must  turn  back  to  tiic  first  chapters  of 
Genesis  if  we  would  find  the  early  history  of  the 
Jordan,  and  recall  the  life  of  Lot  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  cities  of  the  plain.  The  next 
great  character  to  stand  upon  these  hills 
and  overlook  the  Jordan  valley  was  Moses,  the  law- 
giver. After  their  forty  years  of  wandering  in  the 
wilderness  he  had  brought  the  people  to  the  land 
east  of  Jordan.  Leaving  them  in  the  plain  below  he 
climbed  alone  to  Nebo's  lonely  mount,  as  he  had 
climbed  forty  years  before  to  the  summit  of  Sinai, 
and  from  that  lofty  peak  he  gazed  down  upon  the 
land  "which  he  was  to  see  with  his  eyes,  but  was  not 
to  go  in  thither."  From  that  mount,  "where  Moses 
stood  and  viewed  the  landscape  o'er,"  he  saw  the 
blue  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  green  vale  of  Jor- 
dan with  its  silver  river,  the  hills  of  Judea,  that 
promised  land  for  which  his  heart  had  yearned  for 
forty  years,  and  the  distant  city  of  Jerusalem,  even 
then  a  heathen  stronghold.  But  between  him  and 
that  "good  land"  the  deep  valley  of  the  Jordan  in- 
tervened.   "So  Moses,  the  servant  of  the  Lord,  died 


>>-. 


Mi 


"TbJ-.x^, 


''8  ! 


III 


114  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

there  in  the  land  of  Moab,  according  to  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  and  He  buried  him  in  a  ravine  in  the  land 
of  Moab,  but  no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre  unto 
this  day."     As  I  gazed  upon  those  rugged  moun- 
tains east  of  Jordan  I  wondered  upon  which  of  their 
peaks  that  solitary  figure  had  stood  so  many  cen- 
turies ago,  and  in  which  of  their  deep  ravines  that 
"servant  of  the  Lord"  now  lies  buried ;  though  of 
that  lonely  grave  "no  man  knoweth  unto  this  day." 
Near  the  Dead  Sea  a  singular  monument  arrests 
the  attention  of  the  traveler.     It  is  glaring  white, 
and  as  we  see  it  shining  like  crystal  in  the  mornmg 
sun  we  might  almost  fancy  that  it  is  Lot's  wife 
turned  to  a  pillar  of  salt.     But  no.    It  looks  more 
like  a  tomb,  and  indeed  a  tomb  it  is,  and  the  Mo- 
hammedan guide  declares,  with  the  greatest  gravit;.-. 
that  it  is  the  tomb  of  Tyloses !  Ana  m  answer  to  your 
exclamation  of  surprise  he  explains   that   Mosc." 
dust  has  been  transferred  from  his  unknown  sepul- 
chre to  this  spot,  where  it  may  receive  the  homage 
of  the  faithful ;  and  since  here  is  the  tomb  of  Moses, 
it  were  only  a  wretched  unbeliever  who  would  dare 
to  suggest  that  the  body  of  Mose-.  is  not  in  it! 
Thousands    of    Mohammedan    pilgrims    visit    this 
tomb  of  "My  Lord  Moses"  every  year,  for  they  re- 
gard him  as  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  prophets.    I 
looked  upon  this  place  with  wonder.     Less  would 
have  been  my  surprise  had  they  shown  me  the  ark 
of  bulrushes  in  which  Moses  was  hidden  than  when 
they  showed  me  the  tomb  in  which  he  was  buried! 


^^mA^^:.^st^MM^^m^^^^m:,'i^^:^^ 


THE  RIVER  JORDAN 


115 


Oh,  tradition,  tradition!  how  many  untruths  are 
perpetrated  by  thee ! 

The  successor  of  Moses  was  Joshua,  and  in  this 
vale  of  Jordan  occurred  the  two  greatest  events  of 
his  life.  Here  he  led  the  hosts  of  Israel  across  the 
Jordan  on  dry  land ;  here  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell 
before  the  hosts  of  Israel.  We  pitched  our  tents 
upon  the  mounds  which  mark  the  ruins  of  those 
ancient  walls,  and  dreamed  that  night  of  the  blasts 
of  rams'  horns  and  the  cries  of  men. 

There  is  no  more  tragic  scene  recorded  in  the 
Old  Testament  than  that  of  the  parting  of  Elijah 
and  Elisha  upon  the  banks  of  the  Jordan.  Here 
Elisha  received  not  only  the  mantle  of  Elijah,  but 
also  the  spirit  of  the  great  prophet.  Elisha's  fu- 
ture 11  ^e  proved  that  he  had  indeed  the 
spirit  of  his  master.  One  day  he  went  with  a  com- 
pany of  woodchoppers.  "And  when  they  came  to 
Jordan  they  cut  down  wood.  But  as  one  was  telling 
a  beam  the  axe-head  fell  into  the  water;  and  he 
cried  and  said  :  'Alas,  master !  for  it  was  bor- 
rowed !'  And  the  man  of  God  (Elisha)  said: 
'Where  fell  it?'  and  he  showed  him  the  place.  And 
he  cut  a  stick  and  cast  it  in  thither,  and  the  iron  did 
swim.  Therefore,  said  he:  Take  it  up  to  thee!' 
And  he  put  out  his  hand  and  took  it."  This  charm- 
ing story  reminds  us  of  the  myth  of  Mercury  and 
the  woodsman,  but  it  is  told  with  the  simplicity  of 
truth.  It  is  another  fascinating  idyl  added  to  the 
history  of  this  sacred  river. 

But    perhaps    the   greatest   of   all  the    prophets 


!'    ^ 


ii6 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


i  I 


ti  1  -J  ■ 


m 


whose  lives  are  associated  with  the  River  Jordan, 
if  we  incUide  not  the  Hfe  of  him  who  was  "more 
than  a  prophet,"  was  John  the  Baptist.     From  the 
wilderness  this  strange  prophet  appeared,  and  upon 
the  banks  of  Jordan  he  preached  the  gospel  cf  re- 
pentance with  such  wild  eloquence  that  the  people, 
"from  Jerusalem  and  all  Judea,  and  all  the  region 
round  about  Jordan,  came  to  him  confessing  their 
sins,"  and  were  buried  by  him  in  baptism  in  waters 
of  that  river  which  even  then  were  sacred  because 
of  its  holy  memories.  Travelers  know  well  the  start- 
ling appearance   of   the   savage   figures   who   still 
haunt  the  solitary  places  of  the  East,  with  a  cloak— 
the  usual  striped  Bedouin  blankrt— woven  of  cam- 
el's hair,  thrown  over  their  s!    ulders,  a  girdle  of 
skin  about  their  loins,  and  the  hair  flowing  loose 
about  the  head.    Such  a  figure  was  John  the  Baptist, 
preaching,   in   "raiment   of  camel's  hair,"   with  a 
"leathern  girJle  about  his  loins,"  eating  the  "locusts 
and  wild  honey  of  the  desert."    Here  in  this  vale  of 
Tcirdan  he  found  the  vivid  figures  of  his  preaching. 
Pointing  to  the  stones  at  the  river's  edge,  he  said : 
"God  is  able  to  raise  up  of  these  stones  children  to 
Abraham."    Drawing  attention  to  the  woodcutters 
who  were  constantly  chopping  in  these  jungles,  he 
declared  "now  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  roots  of  the 
trees ;  therefore,  even,'  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth 
good  fniit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire." 
Beholding  the  fires  in  the  dry  scrub,  with  the  scor- 
pions and  vipers  fleeing  before  it,  he  turned  to  the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducecs  and  said :    "O  generation 


THE  RIVER  JORDAN 


117 


of  vipers,  who  hath  warned  you  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come  ?"  The  echoes  of  these  mighty  ser- 
mons were  heard  even  in  Nazareth,  far  distant 
among  the  hills  of  Galilee,  by  one  who  had  been 
growing  in  wisdom  for  thirty  years,  and  Jesus 
knew  that  the  time  had  come  for  him  to  lay  aside 
his  carpenter's  tools  and  enter  upon  his  public  min- 
i-try. John  had  already  prophesied  the  coming  of 
"ne  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  he  was  not  worthy  to 
unloose ;  and  when  he  saw  Jesus  beside  the  Jordan 
he  exclaimed :  "This  is  He  of  whom  I  spake.  Be- 
hold the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world."  Down  into  the  river  they  go,  and  by 
the  hands  of  his  forerunner  Jesus  is  buried  beneath 
the  waters  as  an  eternal  example  to  his  followers. 
"And  Jesus,  when  he  was  baptized,  went  up 
straightway  out  of  the  water;  and  lo!  the  heavens 
were  opened  imto  him  and  he  saw  the  spirit  of  God 
descending  like  a  dove  and  lighting  upon  him.  And 
lo!  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  "This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  Thus  the  earthly 
ministry  of  the  Son  of  God  begins  at  the  River 
Jordan,  and  ends  not  till  it  reaches  that  other  river 
that  proceedeth  from  the  throne  of  God.  John, 
who  baptized  him,  was  beheaded  in  Herod's  castle, 
upon  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea ;  Jesus  himself  was 
crucified  upon  Calvary;  but  today  both  live  in  the 
ineffable  glory  of  God. 

Little  wonder  that  tne  waters  of  Jordan  have  been 
sacred  to  Christendom  throughout  the  centuries 
since  Christ  was  buried  beneath  them.     It  was  the 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 

unfulfilled  wish  of  Constantine,  the  first  Qiristian 
emperor,   that   he    might   be   baptized    in   Jordan. 
Protestants,  as  well  as  Greeks  and  Catholics,  have 
delighted  to  carry  oflf  its  waters  for  the  same  sacred 
purpose  to  the  remotest  regions  of  the  West.    Thou- 
sands of  Christians  have  made  pilgrimages  to  Jor- 
dan, that  there  they  might  be  buried  with  Christ  in 
baptism.     It  is  beautifully  described  by  Dean  Stan- 
ley :    "Once  a  year  at  the  Greek  Easter  the  desola- 
tion of  the  plain  of  Jericho  is  broken  by  the  descent 
from  the  Judean  hills  of  five,  six  or  eight  thousand 
pilgrims.    *    *    *    They  pitch  their  tents  that  night 
beside   modern  Jericho,  the  vast  encampment   re- 
minding one  of  the  tents  of  Israel  pitched  in  the 
same  place  thousands  of  years  ago.    Two  hours  be- 
fore dawTi  the  ru-'-^  eastern  kettle-drum  rouses  the 
sleeping  mukitude      Onwards  toward  Jordan  the 
wide    crowd    advances    in    almost    perfect    silence. 
Above  them  hangs  the  bright  Paschal  moon ;  before 
them  move  bright,  flaming  torches;  on  either  side 
huge  watch  fires  break  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
The  sun  breaks  over  the  eastern  hills  as  the  head  of 
the  cavalcade  reaches  the  brink  ^f  Jordan.     Once 
this  bank  of  Jordan  was  cased  in  marble  and  a  large 
cross  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  stream;  but  now 
there  is  nothing  but  the  muddy  banks  overhung 
with  shrubbery.     The  pilgrims  dismount  with  rev- 
erent gravity  and  begin  their  bath.    The  majority  of 
them  wear  white  dresses  which  they  have  brought 
with  them  for  their  baptism  and  which  they  will 
afterwards  keep  for  their  winding  sheets.  For  about 


THE  RIVER  JORDAN 


119 


two  hours  this  bathing  and  baptizing  continues. 
Then  the  pilgrims  remount  their  camels  and  horses 
and  before  the  noonday  lieat  has  set  in  are  again 
encamped  on  the  plain  near  Jericho.  Once  more 
they  may  be  seen.  At  the  dead  of  night  the  drum 
again  awakes  them  for  their  homeward  march.  The 
torches  again  go  before;  behind  follows  the  vast 
multitude,  passing  in  profound  silence  over  that 
silent  plain,  so  silent  that  but  for  the  sound  of  the 
drum  its  departure  would  hardly  be  perceptible. 
When  the  sun  again  arises  their  pilgrimage  has 
ceased  and  they  are  encamped  before  the  gates  of 
Jerusalem." 

God  grant  that  when  we  have  passed  through  the 
waters  of  that  other  river,  like  the  pilgrims  of  the 
Holy  Land,  we  may  come  from  midnight  darkness 
to  the  light  of  day  and  pitch  our  tents  upon  the 
eternal  hills  of  the  New  Jerusalem ! 


'!5it>jJfeSi^^'it*- . 


I   . 


\m 


I  iiiii 


CHAPTER  XI 

NAZARETH,  THE  CITY    OF    THE  SILENT 

YEARS 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by."— Gospel  of  Luke. 
The  name  of  this  city,  Nazareth,  is  intertwined 
into  tl.e  entire  Ufe  of  Christ.    Indeed,  from  that  Ufe 
it  derives  its  sole  importance,  fur  unhke  Bethlehem, 
it  is  not  once  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  Scrip- 
tures.    After  his  visit  to  Jerusalem  when  twelve 
years  of  age  we  read  that  Jesus  "Came  to  Nazareth, 
and  was  subject  unto  them."    At  the  time  of  his  bap- 
tism "Jesus  came  from  Nazareth  of  Galilee  and  was 
baptized  of  John  in  Jordan."     After  his  temptation 
"He  came  to  Nazareth,  where  he  had  been  brought 
up,"  and  preached  his  first  sermon  in  its  synagogue, 
a  sermon  that  so  angered  his  fellow-citizens  that 
they  sought  to  "cast  him  down  headlong"  over  the 
cliffs.    He  was  everywhere  known  as  "Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth."    "Philip  findeth  Nathaniel,  and  saith  unto 
him,  We  have  found  Jesus  of  Nazareth."     When 
the  blind  man  who  sat  by  the  wayside  begging  asked 
the  cause  of  the  excitement  which  he  could  hear  but 
not  behold  he  was  told  "Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth 
by."    The  very  devils  cried  out  as  he  passed  "What 
have  we  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth?" 
When  those  demons  in  human  form  who  sought 

19n 


±,i^^ajt^' 


'i-% 


^'^  X  m 


^"^i^- 


m 


NAZARETH 


121 


1 

3 
I 
1 

a 


him  in  Gethsemane  stood  before  him,  he  asked 
"Whom  seek  ye?"  They  answered  him,  "Jesus  of 
Nazareth."  Jesus  saith  unto  them.  "I  am  he." 
When  he  was  crucified,  these  words  were  written 
over  liis  head,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  king 
of  the  Jews."  On  the  morn  of  the  resur- 
rection the  angel  at  the  tomb  said  to  the 
affrighted  women,  "Yc  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who 
was  crucified  ;  he  is  risen  ;  ho  is  not  here ;  behold  the 
place  where  they  laid  him."  "Jesus  of  Nazareth" 
was  the  theme  of  Peter's  sermon  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost. The  m.iracle  at  the  Gate  Beautiful  was  per- 
formed "in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth." 
And  when  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  smitten  to  the  ground 
in  the  desert  beside  Damascus  he  heard  a  voice  di- 
vine saying  "I  am  Jesus  of  Nazareth  whom  thou 
pcrsecutest."  And  in  heaven  the  humble  Nazarene 
is  now  exalted  to  the  throne  and  his  name  is  the 
theme  of  the  angels'  songs. 

Yet  Nazareth  is  a  city  without  a  history.  It  is 
certainly  remarkable  that  this  city  so  dear  to  the 
Christian  heart  is  not  once  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament.  But  there  is  a  certain  divine  appropri- 
ateness th.at  He  who  made  all  things  out  of  nothing 
should  come  forth  to  the  world  out  of  a  place  that 
has  no  history.  Nazareth  is  not  even  alluded  to  by 
Josephus,  who  was  himself  on  every  side  of  it,  and 
names  the  villages  all  about  it.  For  ages  it  re- 
mained an  obscure  village  hidden  away  in  a  moun- 
tain valley.  In  comparatively  recent  times  Christian 
pilgrimages  have  brought  it  into  prominence.     As 


122 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


rv;.-'.  ■: 


soon  as  we  saw  Nazareth  we  understood  why  it  was 
unknown  to  history  except  as  the  home  of  Jesus. 
VVe  had  been  travehng  for  miles  across  the  level 
plain  of  Esdraelon  toward  the  range  of  blue  moun- 
tains on  the  north.  Occasionally  we  had  caught 
glimpses  of  the  gleaming  white  houses  of  a  secluded 
city  lying  like  snow  near  the  summits  of  those  lofty 
hills.  That  was  Nazareth.  It  could  look  down  upon 
the  caravans  of  all  nations  passing  along  the  world's 
highways  close  at  its  feet,  but  it  stood  aloof,  se- 
cluded, unapproachable.  After  two  hours'  hard 
climb  a  sudden  turn  in  the  road  revealed  the  city 
close  at  hand.  Fifteen  gently  rounded  hills  rise 
round  about,  as  though  they  had  met  to  form  an 
enclosure  for  the  peaceful  basin  in  which  the  city 
lies. 

This  vale  of  Nazareth  is  green  and  fertile,  abound- 
ing in  fruit  trees  and  scattered  with  flowers,  while  a 
fountain  gushes  from  the  rock  of  the  hill  which  rises 
in  steep  precipices  to  the  north.  Yet  Nazareth  has 
no  beauty.  How  can  a  place  be  pretty  when  all  the 
houses  are  of  one  uniform  shape  and  color?  Photo- 
graphs of  Nazareth,  as  of  all  eastern  cities,  look  like 
a  lot  of  boxes  strewn  upon  a  hillside.  The  houses 
have  "no  more  variety  than  a  lot  of  stones  hewn  out 
of  a  quarry."  The  color,  too,  is  not  grateful  to  the 
eye.  Built  of  the  limestone  of  the  country,  the 
houses  are  of  such  a  glaring  white  that  it  is  painful 
to  look  upon  them  in  the  full  blaze  of  the  midday 
sun.  After  stopping  our  horses  a  few  minutes  that 
we  might  look  upon  this  mountain  city,  we  pushed 


m" 


NAZARETH 


123 


forward,  passed  through  the  walls,  and  pitched  our 
tents  upon  the  green  plain  tiear  the  fountain.  Then, 
tired  though  we  were,  we  went  out  to  explore  the 
home  of  Christ.  We  found  the  streets  narrow  and 
dirty,  the  gutters  often  running  in  the  center.  The 
population,  numbering  about  7,500,  is  largely  Chris- 
tian. These  people  of  Nazareth  have  always  been 
noted  for  their  turbulent  disposition  from  the  time 
that  Nathaniel  asked  "Can  any  good  thing  come  out 
of  Nazareth  ?"  until  the  present  time.  As  in  Bethle- 
hem, so  here,  they  live  by  farming  and  gardening 
and  by  the  sale  of  sacred  trinkets  to  pilgrims.  Apart 
from  its  sacred  memories  Nazareth  has  nothing  to 
attract  the  traveler.  But  it  witnessed  the  childhood 
of  a  great  character,  the  beginning  of  a  great  his- 
tory. "In  the  Himalayas  there  is  a  stream  which 
flows  forth  f'om  under  a  glacier.  It  may  be  no 
more  than  others  which  issue  from  that  region  of 
eternal  snow ;  but  it  is  the  source  of  the  Ganges,  a 
river  which  to  hundreds  of  millions  is  like  the  river 
flowing  out  of  the  throne  of  God.  So  from  this  little 
mountain  town  of  Galilee  has  gone  forth  a  stream 
which  has  flowed  into  all  the  world  and  had  the 
greatest  influence  on  the  destinies  of  mankind." 
The  one  event  that  lends  importance  to  this  city  is 
that  it  was  the  city  of  the  silent  years  of  Jesus. 

But  come  now  and  let  us  visit  the  sacred  places 
of  this  city  in  which  Jesus  spent  thirty  years  of  his 
earthly  life.  We  will  take  them  in  their  natural 
order. 

FiK\  the  Church  of  the  Annunciation,  so  called 


124 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


'; 


i       I 


because  it  h  supposed  to  stand  upon  the  very  place 
where  the  angel  Gabriel,  who  had  been  sent  to  Naz- 
areth by  God,  announced  to  Mary  that  she  was 
"blessed  among  women,"  for  she  had  "found  favor 
with  God."  "And  behold,"  said  he,  "thou  shalt 
bring  forth  a  son,  and  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  and 
of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end."  This  church 
is  noted  for  the  impressiveness  of  its  religious  serv- 
ices, in  which  the  wild  Bedouin,  in  their  rude  but 
picturesque  dress,  may  be  seen  joining  in  the  re- 
sponses of  the  Christian  worship.  There  is  no  place 
in  Palestine  where  the  religious  services  seem  so 
worthy  of  the  sacredness  of  the  place.  But  neither 
is  there  any  place  in  which  an  intelligent  Christian 
will  receive  so  severe  a  shock  from  absurd  traditions. 
Descending  a  flight  of  steps  we  come  to  the  Holy 
Grotto.  The  natural  stone  is  partially  incased  with 
marble,  while  many  silver  lamps  hang-  from  the  ceil- 
ing and  cast  their  radiance  upon  a  marble  slab  before 
the  altar  with  a  cross  in  the  center,  worn  by  the 
kisses  of  the  devout  pilgrims,  and  bearing  this  in- 
scription in  Latin:  "Here  the  Word  was  made 
flesh."  This  is  intended  to  •  irk  the  very  spot  on 
which  the  Virgin  stood  when  she  received  the  an- 
gelic salutation.  Close  by  is  a  broken  pillar,  called 
the  column  of  Gabriel,  and  said  to  mark  the  very 
spot  upon  which  that  angel  stood.  They  show  us 
also  a  granite  column  hanging  from  the  ceiling,  and 
said  to  be  miraculously  supported  above  the  spot 
where  the  Virgin  received  the  angel's  message !  The 
"Kitchen  of  the  Virgin"  is  also  shown  in  this  won- 


^HmS^^frr-^: 


n 


I 

-3 


NAZARETH 


125 


derful  church.  But  more  wonderful  still  is  the  story 
which  these  Roman  Catholic  monks  tell  you  con- 
cerning the  House  of  the  Virgin.  They  show  you  a 
rocky  Hoor,  now  richly  overlaid  with  marble,  on 
which  the  hou'^e  once  stood,  and  then  declare  that 
one  night,  near  the  close  of  the  thirteenth  century 
the  house  itself  was  carried  by  angels  through  the 
starlit  skies  away  from  the  land  of  Palestine,  across 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  where  its  strange  flight  was 
witnessed  by  some  sailors,  and  brought  finally  to  a 
hill  of  Italy  called  Loretto.  Not  only  do  the  monks 
tell  this  story,  but  its  veracity  is  vouched  for  by  a 
proclamation  of  Pope  Leo  X.,  so  there  can  be  no 
doubt  of  its  truth.  Moreover  a  Roman  Catholic 
bishop  here  in  America  has  written  a  book  in  proof 
of  it  entitled  the  "Holy  House  of  Loretto." 

Tliis  House  of  the  Virgin  in  Loretto  is 
now  inclosed  in  a  vast  church  erected  by 
the  Popes,  and  its  treasury'  contains  the  rich  offer- 
ings of  popes  and  bishops,  kings  and  queens.  Tens 
of  thousands  of  pilgrims  visit  this  holy  house  in 
Italy  every  year.  Before  the  dawn  of  day  worship 
begins.  The  great  church  is  filled  with  worshiper.- 
while  it  is  yet  dark.  After  mass  the  holy  house  itself 
is  opened  and  the  pilgrims  flock  in,  and  from  that 
hour  till  sunset  come  and  go  in  one  perpetual  stream. 
The  house  is  thronged  with  kneeling  or  prostrate 
figures,  and  the  pavement  is  worn  by  the  passage  of 
pilgrims,  who,  from  the  humblest  peasant  to  the 
king  of  Naples,  crawl  round  about  it  on  their  knees. 
And  in  this  building,  as  in  that  church  at  Nazareth, 


rrSK?i^^a*. 


■H 


•  ! 


'I 


11!) 


if      ! 

r    i  ■  , ' 
If  Hi 

1- 


Sill 


126 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


they  show  you  the  "very  spot"  on  which  Mary  stood 
when  she  received  the  celestial  visitation.  We  would 
call  these  thiii^^s  niiseral)le  ikcepliotis  and  ungodly 
idolatry  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  they  have  re- 
ceived and  still  receive  the  authorization  and  ap- 
proval of  the  heads  of  a  church  which  not  only 
claims  to  be  "infallible,"  but  which  includes  within 
its  membership  many  of  the  humblest  and  truest 
Christians  that  ever  loved  and  followed  the  Man  of 
Nazareth.  Well  may  we  pray  that  the  "Holy  Cath- 
olic Ch-  "i"  may  be  led  to  withdraw  its  support 
from  this  and  similar  absurd  traditions  which  have 
brought  the  very  name  of  Christian  into  worldwide 
ridicule  and  reproach. 

Saddened  wi'-!i  such  thoughts  as  these  we  leave 
the  Church  of  the  Annunciation  and  betake  our- 
selves to  the  hilltop  overlooking  Nazareth,  where 
with  a  magnificent  view  stretching  from  the  Medi- 
terranean to  the  Jordan,  and  from  Mount  Hermon  to 
the  mountains  round  about  Jerusalem,  we  sit  down, 
and,  glad  to  escape  from  the  "lying  wonders"  of  the 
monks,  give  ourselves  up  to  reflections  upon  the 
childhc^^  ,  youth  awd  early  manhood  of  Jesus.  We 
cannot  doubt  but  that  a  thousand  times  the  Master 
climbed  this  ver>'  spot  and  looked  round  upon  these 
same  hills  and  vales  and  fertile  plain.  Here  the 
Prince  of  Peace  looked  down  upon  that  plain  where 
the  din  of  battles  had  so  often  rolled ;  here  he  looked 
out  upon  that  sea  whose  swift  ships  should  bear  the 
tidings  of  salvation  to  continents  then  unknown. 
Among  these  hills  he  played  as  a  child ;  in  yonder 
village  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  bench. 


NAZARETH 


127 


But  how  little  we  know  of  those  thirty  silent 
years  at  Xazarcth !   There  are  hut  two  passages  in 
the  Scripture  that  tell  us  anything  of  them.     One 
says  that  lie  "grew  in  wisdom  and  in  stature,  and 
in  favor  with  Got!  and  man,"  a  noble  record  truly ! 
The   other  describes   his   visit   to  Jerusalem   when 
twelve  years  of  age,  but  that  he  returned  with  Joseph 
and  Mary  "and  was  subject  unto  them  "    A  better 
record  still!     These  arc  the  only  stars  that  shine 
cut  of  the  darkness  that  shrouds  those  thiity  years. 
But  as  we  sit  upon  the  hill  of  Nazareth  and  look 
down  upon  the  little  city,  we  fancy  we  behold  the 
humble  home  of  two  thousand  years  ago.     There 
we  see  Mary,  not  as  a  madonna  such  as  the  artists 
paint,  we  picture  not  in  her  a  wondrous  beauty  of 
form  or  face,  but  rather  that  beauty  of  the  soul 
which  shines  through  the  countenance,  producing  a 
kind  of  illumination  such  as  is  seen  only  in  the  faces 
of  saintly  women.    We  see  no  halo  round  her  head, 
but  in  her  face  there  shines  the  light  of  love.     She 
receives  her  chief  glory  from  the  Child.     "In  the 
celebrated  picture  of  the  Nativity  of  Correggio,  the 
light  is  made  to  emanate  from  the  child,  from  which 
it  shines  in  the  faces  of  all  the  wondering  group. 
This  is  as  true  to  reality  as  it  is  beautiful  in  art — 
the  chief  glory  of  Mary  is  her  relation  to  Jesus." 

That  Mary  was  a  true  mother  to  the  Heavenly 
Child  that  had  been  committed  to  her  care  we  may 
be  sure.  And  what  the  true  mothers  in  Israel  were 
we  know  from  their  saintly  examples  both  in  the 


If 

I 


i- 


1    I 


i    t 


128 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


Old  Testament  and  the  New.  If  we  could  but  look 
into  that  home  at  Nazareth  we  would  see  that  from 
his  earliest  years  Jesus  was  surrounded  with  godly 
influences.  While  still  a  babe  he  watched  his  mother 
prepare  the  Sabbath  meal,  and  li^^ht  the  Sabbath 
lamp.  Upon  the  door  post  of  his  home  his  child- 
ish eyes  would  see  a  little  wooden  case,  on  the  out- 
side of  which  was  the  name  of  the  Most  Higi  , 
while  within  was  a  little  folded  parchment  of  God 
Word.  All  who  passed  in  or  out  touched  this  cae. 
with  their  fingers,  and  then  kissed  the  fingers  that 
had  come  in  contact  with  the  Holy  Name.  Thus  he 
came  to  know  the  meaning  of  that  verse,  "The  Lord 
shall  preserve  thy  going  out  ai.d  thy  coming  in  from 
this  time  forth  and  even  for  ever  more."  Amid  such 
holy  influence  the  Holy  Child  grew  in  wisdom  and 
siature,  in  favor  with  God  and  man. 

Rut  now  let  us  return  from  the  hilltop  to 
the  city,  that  we  may  visit  the  fountain  of  Nazareth, 
a  place  to  which  Mary  and  Jesus  no  doubt  came 
time  and  time  again.  As  this  is  the  only  spring  m 
the  place  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  its  identity. 
As  we  draw  near  we  see  many  women  and  children 
gathered  round  about  the  cistern,  for  to  this  foun- 
tain still  come  the  daughters  of  Nazareth  filling  their 
large  pitchers  from  the  full-flowing  stream  and 
balancing  them  gracefully  on  their  heads  or  shoul- 
ders. No  one  can  doubt  that  it  is  the  same  ihat 
flowed  here  2,000  years  ago,  and  to  which  she  whose 
name  it  now  bears  came  a  thousand  times,  often 
leading   by   the    hand   the   Wonderful    Child.      By 


NAZARETH 


129 


some  it  is  called  "Mary's  Well";  by  others,  "Jesus' 
Spring."    It  is  the  most  sacred  spot  in  Xazareth. 

They  also  show  us  the  site  of  the  synagogue  in 
which  Jesus  attended  school,  where  he  worshiped 
God  with  a  heart  unstained  by  sin,  and  where  he 
preached  on  that  day  when  the  enraged  populace 
would  fam  have  thrown  him  over  the  precipice  which 
rises  today  sheer  and  steep  back  of  the  city.  Tra- 
dition also  points  to  a  block  of  hard  chalk  called 
The  Table  of  Christ,  on  which  Christ  is  said  to  have 
dined  with  his  disciples,  both  before  and  after  his 
resurrection. 

But  to  me  one  of  the  most  interesting  places  in 
Nazareth  was  the  Church  of  the  Workshop,  which 
claim.s  to  occupy  the  place  where  the  carpenter  shop 
stood.  I  was  impressed  on  first  entering  Nazareth 
by  seeing  a  carpenter's  shop  in  which  two  men 
were  busy  making  plows.  I  scanned  their  faces 
carefully  and  wondered  if  they  resembled  in  any 
way  the  carpenters  who  worked  together  in  that 
city  centuries  ago.  For  Jesus  grew  up  in  the  trade 
of  his  reputed  father,  so  that  people  could  say  of 
him  "Is  not  this  the  carpenter?"  Justin  Martyr, 
who  lived  in  Samaria  in  the  second  century  affirmed 
that  "Jesus  was  a  maker  of  plows  and  yokes."  a 
tradition  which  may  well  be  true.  No  doubt  the 
Savior  toiled  diligently.  No  doubt  he  cherished  all 
day  long  so  devout  a  spirit  that  his  homely  task 
became  a  part  of  his  life  of  piety.  I  was  especially 
impressed  by  this  Guirch  of  the  Workshop  because 
of  a  painting  that  hangs  just  over  the  altar.    It  is  by 


M 


l^. 


130 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


Francois  Lator,  a  French  artist,  and  represents 
Jesus  in  the  workshop.  In  this  picture  one  sees 
a  touch  of  the  hiils  arourd  Nazareth  and  the  bkie 
skies  of  Gahlee,  while  he  looks  through  th^  open 
doorway  of  a  humble  workshop,  upon  whost  steps 
Mary  is  seated,  as  though  waiting  for  the  evening 
hour,  while  the  doves  are  alighting  round  about  her 
feet.  Through  the  doorway  you  behold  the  bench 
strewn  wiih  shavings  and  tools,  while  Joseph,  saw  in 
hand,  bends  ovc-  his  work,  and  Jesus,  rudely  clad 
in  peasant's  garb,  assists.  But  there  is  an  expres- 
sion upon  the  face  of  that  youthful  carpenter  which 
marks  him  as  the  son  of  God.  Beneath  this  picture 
are  the  words  "He  was  subject  unto  them."  Wc 
gazed  in  silence  upon  that  picture,  and  when  we  left, 
the  tears  were  standing  in  our  eyes. 

Half  way  down  the  hillside  stands  one  of  the 
nublcst  instituiions  in  Palestine,  a  school  for  the 
instruction  of  orphan  girls.  It  has  been  built  and 
is  supported  by  the  Christian  liberality  of  England. 
England  was  naught  but  a  pagan  isle  when  Jesus 
preached  in  the  synagogue  of  Nazareth,  but  now 
Christian  England  erects  this  orphanage  in  the  city 
of  Him  who  said :  "Suffer  liule  children  to  come 
unto  me  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  Some  of  our  party  were 
kindly  received  and  shown  through  this  large  build- 
ing. At  last  they  led  us  to  an  upper  hall,  where, 
seated  on  benches  rising  one  behind  another,  were 
perhaps  a  hundred  children.     They  had  learned  a 


I    ■ 


NAZARETH 


^31 


little  English  and  at  the  request  of  their  teacher 
they  sang  that  familiar  hymn : 

"What  means  this  eager,  anxious  throng, 
Which  moves  with  busy  haste  along 
These  wondrous  gatherings  day  by  day? 
What  means  this  strange  commotion,  pray  ? 
I  In  accents  hushed  the  throng  reply, 

'Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by !'  " 

I  How  sweet  those  words   sounded  there  in  that 

I  city  of  Nazareth  from  those  children's  lips.     The 

'  soft  melody  seemed  to  still  linger  in  the  air  as  we 

made  our  way  down  the  hillside  to  the  camp. 
Though  the  uay  was  almost  gone,  the  golden  light 
still  lingerc-1  on  the  heights  above  us,  where  in  the 
last  glow  of  sunset  seemed  to  float  the  form  of  him 
who  once  walked  among  the:e  hills.  Was  not  the 
Master  passing  by?  It  was  as  if  we  could  see  him 
dimly  in  the  twilight,  nay,  as  if  he  who  came  to 
his  disciples  v/hen  the  door  was  shut,  and  said 
"Peace  be  unto  you!"  stood  within  the  door  of  our 
tent,  and  gave  his  peace  to  those  who,  though 
strangers  and  pilgrims,  were  yet  his  disciples. 


(. 


I 


CHAPTER  XII 

VOICES  FROM  THE  FLOWERS 

Every  travtler  who  visits  Palestine  in  the  spring 
must  be  charmed  with  her  wild  flowers.  They  will 
greet  him  sweetly  when  he  lands  at  Jaffa,  and  wel- 
come him  wherever  he  goes.  The  roadsides  are 
fringed,  the  fields  dotted,  the  rocky  hillsides  glori- 
fied with  beautiful  blossoms,  while  even  the  cran- 
nies in  the  rocks  and  w-alls  have  their  little  flowers. 
I  have  been  surprised  at  the  number  of  old  friends 
that  have  nodded  their  heads  at  me  as  I  have  passed. 
The  valley  that  leads  to  Sharon  is  called  "the  valley 
of  roses"  because  of  the  multitude  of  wild  roses — 
pink,  yellow  and  white — which  bloom  uix)n  the  hill- 
sides. I  have  seen  the  rose  nowhere  else  in  the  land, 
so,  perhaps,  it  was  from  these  that  Christ  was  called 
"the  rose  of  Sharon."  Then  there  are  buttercups, 
daisies,  pink  and  white  clover,  dandelions,  thistles, 
poppies,  pheasant's  eye.  caraway,  sweet  peas,  white 
marguerite  and  maiden-hair  fern.  But  the  most 
beautiful,  as  well  as  the  most  interesting  flower  of 
all  is  the  red  anemone  ccronaria,  for  this  is  prob- 
ably the  blossom  to  which  the  Savior  pointed  when 
he  said:  "Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they 
grow.  They  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin,  yet 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of 

132 


I 


VOICES  FROM  THE  FLOWERS        133 


these."  These  gorgeous  flowers  are  scattered  by 
tens  of  thousands  all  over  the  land.  In  many  places 
the  roadsides  are  literally  scarlet  with  them,  while 
the  rockiest  hillsides  are  often  rosy  with  their 
bloom.  Perhaps  it  was  to  such  a  hill  that  Jesus 
stretched  forth  his  hand  when  he  drew  that  beauti- 
ful lesson  from  their  careless  glory. 

Have  you  ever  heard  the  voices  of  the  flowers? 
They  are  among  the  sweetest  of  all  the  sounds  that 
come  t  J  the  human  soul.    E?  .1  May  day  finds  us 
in  the  midst  of  a  World  Beautiful.     God's  artists 
have  all  gone  forth  to  decorate  the  world      With 
sunbeams  for  brushes  and  rainbows  for  colors,  they 
execute  that  masterpiece  of  nature  which  we  call 
spring.     Upon  the  canvas   of   the  continent  they 
place  the  green  background  and  begin  to  paint  the 
foliage  of  the  trees.     For   weeks  invisible   angels 
work  amid  the  mosses  of  the  woods,  frescoing  them 
with  figures  more  wonderful  than  those  of  Fra  An- 
gehco,  painting  with  divine  skill  the  pink  arbutus 
and  the  sweet  blue  violet,  the  golden  dandelion  and 
the  wonderful  flowers  of  May.     God's  ministering 
spirits  mix  upon  the  clouds  colors  more  wonderful 
than  those  of  Murillo,  and  soon  their  brushes  are 
biisv  upon  cherry  trees  and  apple  blossoms,  upon 
damask  roses  and  lilies,  until  we  are  surrounded  by 
pictures  more  beautiful   than  those  that  hang  in 
roval  palaces,  and  if  we  have  eyes  to  see  we  must 
exclaim  with  him  of  old:     "He  hath  made  every- 
tliing  beautiful  in  its  time."     Happy  indeed  is  he  to 
whom  the  flowers  are  thus  but  a  veil  behind  which 


I  Pi! 

m 


'34 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


God  hides  his  face  and  through  which  we  may  hear 
his  voice. 

The  weary  multitudes  who  sat  around  Jesus'  feet 
had  trampled  through  those  beauty-lxispangled 
fields  as  they  came  to  hun,  but  had  gazed  upon  them 
as  with  blind  eyes,  neither  seeing  them  nor  thinking 
of  them  until  the  Master  said:  "Consider  the 
flowers." 

Everybody  looks  at  the  flowers,  but  how  few  hear 
the  messages  that  fall  from  the  scented  lips  of  these 
"prophets  of  fragrance,  beauty,  joy  and  song." 
Someone  has  said:  "Flowers  are  words  which  even 
a  babe  may  understand" — and,  indeed,  one  must 
retain  something  of  the  poetry  of  childhood  if  he  is 
to  hear  them  speak.    Wordsworth  said : 

"To  me  the  meanest  flower  that  blows  can  give 
Thoughts  that  do  often  lie  too  deep  for  tears." 

And  Longfellow  calls  the  flowers  the 

"Emblems  of  our  own  great  resurrection. 
Emblems  of  the  bright  and  better  land." 

Have  you  ever  considered  the  influence  which 
flowers  exert  upon  the  world  ?  There  seems  to  be  a 
natural  affinity  between  the  soul  of  man  and  those 
blossoms  which  are  the  souls  of  the  plants.  We  are 
born  with  a  love  for  them.  The  babe  stretches 
forth  its  dimpled  hands  for  the  flowers  and  then 
laughs  for  very  joy.  Anil  when  at  last  those  hands 
have  become  hardened  with  toil,  and  are  fokjed 
pulseless  and  cold  across  the  breast,  we  place  calla 


VOICES  FROM  THE  FLOWERS        135 


lilies  in  them,   like  fragrant  torches  to  dispel  the 
darkness  of  the  grave. 

The  llowcrs  are  tlie  angels  of  the  grasses,  silent 
messengers  of  God  sent  down  from  heaven  to  woo 
mankind  to  higher,  sweeter,  purer  lives.  They 
preach  to  us  sermons  which,  though  silent  to  the 
ear,  are  loud  to  the  heart.  Well  did  the  Great 
Teacher  say :  "Consider,  consider  the  lilies  of  the 
field." 

Consider,  first  of  all,  the  sermon  on  HUMILITY 
which  the  flowers  preach.  Should  I  ask  you  to 
name  the  flower  which  preaches  the  best  sermon 
upon  humility,  some  might  name  the  "humble  vio- 
let," others  "the  sweet  forget-me-not,"  but  to  me 
the  trailing  arbutus  discourses  the  most  sweetly 
upon  this  theme.  How  closely  the  arbutus  clings  to 
eart'  !  How  humbly  it  hides  its  loveliest  blossoms 
lx>neath  its  coarsest  leaves ;  how  modestly  they  peek 
forth  from  their  green  hiding  place  the  humblest 
flower  in  all  the  world !  Yes,  die  humblest,  and  yet 
the  flower  we  love  the  most.  What  can  match  the 
delicate  pink  of  its  blossoms;  wliat  can  equal  the 
sweet  fragrance  of  its  breath?  Was  it  not  of  the 
arbutus  Wordsworth  spake  when  he  declared  "Tlie 
flower  of  sweetest  smell  is  shy  and  lowly?"  While 
another  poet  says:  "The  loveliest  flowers,  the 
'■.iosest  cling  to  earth."  What  a  lesson  of  humility 
these  flowers  teach.  Would  you  be  sought  after, 
then  seek  not  to  advance  yourself,  but  live  a  humlile, 
a  holy  life.  He  who  thought  himself  "the  least  of 
all  the  saints"  is  now  considered  the  greatest  of  all 


•I 


i 


'   li 


i 


m 


ijlif 


136 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


I 


the  saints.  .  Take  thy  place  at  the  ioot  of  the  table 
and  the  Master  will  say :  "Come  up  higher."  Seek 
not  to  exalt  thyself  to  the  skies,  but  rather  ask: 
"When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  what  is  man  that 
thou  art  mindful  of  him,  or  the  son  of  man  tliat 
thou  visitest  him."  lie  .vho  is  most  truly  hiimble 
will  be  most  truly  loved.  The  humblest  man  that 
ever  lived  washed  his  disciples'  feet ;  but  in  turn 
his  feet  were  washed  with  tears,  anointed  with  oil, 
wiped  with  a  woman's  hair,  and  the  day  will  come 
when  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  saints  will 
cast  their  crowns  before  his  feet  and  crown  him 
King  of  Kings. 

Learn  humility  also  from  "the  violets  in  the 
vale,"  "the  blue-eyed  violet,"  "that  queen  of  se- 
crecy," "the  timid,  bashful  violet,"  which  Shakes- 
peare describes  as  "sweeter  than  the  lids  of  Juno's 
eyes."  How  humbly  they  look  forth  from  their 
mossv  homes,  bowing  their  heads  as  though  kneel- 
ing reverently  at  some  tiny  shrine.  We  love  the 
"sweet,  blue  violets"  all  the  more  because  of  their 
humility. 

The  forget-me-not  whispers  the  same  great  truth. 
Some  imknown  poet  has  beautifully  told  a  story  ol 
the  fi3rget-me-not  which  shows  its  childlike  humil- 
ity. 

"When  to  the  flowers  so  beautiful, 
The  Father  gave  a  name. 
Back  came  a  little,  blue-eyed  one 

(All  timidly  it  came:) 
And  standing  at  the  Father's  feet, 


VOICES  FROM  THE  FLOWERS        137 


I 


% 


■I 


And  gazing  in  his  face 
It  said,  in  low  and  trembling  tones : 

'Dear  God,  the  name  thou  gavest  me, 
Aias!  I  have  forgot.' 

Kindly  the  Father  looked  him  down 
And  said :    'Forget-me-not.'" 

The  gaudy  sunflower  holds  aloft  his  head  and 
makes  a  great  spread  in  this  world  of  ours,  looking 
down  in  prideful  scorn  upon  many  a  humbler  plant ; 
but  he  is  "unloved,  unhonored  and  unsung,"  while 
the  humble  flowers,  the  arbutus,  the  violet,  the  for- 
get-me-not are  loved  and  sung  the  wide  world  over. 
Harken  to  the  sermon  on  Humility  which  these  flow- 
ers preach. 

Consider,  secondly,  the  sermon  on  "FIDELITY," 
which  the  flowers  preach.  I  wonder  if  God  says 
to  the  seed  in  the  springtime  as  he  says  to  us  in 
youth,  "Be  faithful,  and  thou  shalt  receive  a  crown 
of  glory?"  We  forget  this  promise  but  the  seerl 
does  not.  In  the  darkness  of  the  soil  it  remembers 
and  waits,  without  a  murmur,  drinking  in  moisture, 
gathering  substance,  swelling  in  life,  crownless  but 
faithful.  Upward  it  pushes  its  way  through  every 
difficulty  till  it  beholds  the  sun,  still  crownless,  but 
faithful.  Day  after  day  it  labors  storing  up  sun- 
shine, shunning  shadows,  struggling  for  life, — 
crownless  still,  but  faithful.  Week  after  week  it 
"waits,  meekly  waits,  meekly  waits,  and  murmurs 
not."  remembering  the  promise,  still  crownless  but 
faithful.  But  finally  God  smiles  his  approval  upon 
his  faithful  flower,  then  it  swells  into  bud,  and  the 


!    ■' 


m 


i; 

I 


7^8 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


biuis  burst  forth  into  a  crown  of  blossoms,  then  the 
flower  sends  up  sweet  incense  of  gratitude  to  God, 
for  now  at  least  it  is  both  crowned  and  faithful. 
Faithful  unto  the  end  it  has  received  its  crown  of 
glory.  Some  flowers  bloom  at  the  dawn  of  day, 
some  at  noon,  one  at  four  o'clock,  some  in  the  even- 
ing shadows,  some  at  the  hour  of  midnight  darkness  ; 
some  flowers  bloom  every  month,  others  once  a  year, 
others  once  in  two  years,  and  one  laho-  on  a  cen- 
tury, remembering  God's  promise  a  hundred  years, 
but  every  flower  that  is  faithful  unto  the  end  at  last 
receives  its  crown  of  glor)'.  So  shalt  thou,  O  sad, 
disheartened,  doubting  saint,  if  thou  dost  but  learn 
this  lesson  from  the  flowers.  Go  labor  on,  spend 
and  be  spent,  thy  joy  to  do  thy  Master's  will.  Re 
faithful  to  thine  allotted  task  whether  thou  art  the 
tiny  floweret  or  the  giant  oak.  Be  faithful  unto 
death,  and  thou  shalt  receive  a  crown  of  righteous- 
ness placed  by  angel's  hands  upon  thy  brow.  The 
stars  of  heaven  are  God's  servants  to  study  thy  faith- 
fulness in  the  silent  watches  of  the  night.  Tlie  flow- 
ers of  earth  are  God's  servants  to  observe  thy  faith- 
fulness by  day.  Seeing  that  we  are  surrounded  by 
so  great  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  what  manner  of  per 
sons  ought  we  to  be?  Harken  to  the  sermon  on 
fidelity  which  the  flowers  preach. 

Consider,  thirdly,  the  sermon  on  PURITY  which 
the  flowers  preach.  There  is  a  bird  which  sings 
"Purity,  purity,  purity,"  and  it  is  sometimes  called 
the  "purity  bird."  Someone  has  said  that  "the  birds 
are  the  voices  of  the  flowers."     Perhaps  that  saying 


VOICES  FROM  THE  FLOWERS        139 

came  from  the  curious  old  legend  told  ny  the  Indians 
of  the  Pacific  coast.  They  say  that  when  the  Great 
Spirit  first  stood  uj)on  the  nKJuntains  to  see  the  new 
earth  he  had  created,  wherever  he  touched  the  grecm 
land  a  tree  grew  up.  He  was  pleased  at  this  and 
smiled,  and  at  his  smile  the  trees  became  clothed  in 
beautiful  verdure.  All  summer  the  trees  grew,  but 
{  the  first  frosts  of  autumn  causeil  the  leaws  to  turn 

gold  and  red,  and  then  to  die.  As  they  fell  to  the 
ground  their  creator  thought  they  were  too  fair  to 
perish,  and  at  his  word,  each  falling  leaf  became  a 
flying  bird  that  soared  and  sang  for  joy.  The  robin 
came  from  the  red-stained  oak  leaf,  the  cardinal  bird 
from  the  maple,  and  the  faded  leaf  of  the  willow  was 
transformed  into  the  yellow-bird.  The  homely 
brown  leaves  became  sparrows  and  larks,  and  were 
given  sweeter  voices  to  compensate  for  their  plainer 
colors.  One  of  these  is  the  purity  bird.  If  it  be  in- 
deed the  voice  of  a  flower,  I  think  that  flower  must 
be  the  lily,  for  the  lilies'  song  would  surely  be 
"Purity,  purity,  purity."  How  spotless,  how  pure 
the  lilies  are !  Xo  matter  how  vile  their  surround- 
ings, they  are  always  pure.  The  lilies  of  the  valley 
grow  in  dark,  shady  places  upon  impure  soil,  but 
how  pure  are  the  blossoms  which  they  send  forth. 
The  calla  lily  has  its  native  home  in  southern 
swamps  where  all  but  it  is  vile,  yet  its  blossoms  are 
as  spotless  as  the  driven  snow.  The  water-lily  floats 
on  slimy  pools  and  sends  its  roots  through  depths 
of  vileness  where  slimy  creatures  crawl,  yet  its 
blossoms  are  as  fair  as  the  moon,  as  pure  as  the 


I40 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


m  ' 


m 


I 


stars,  and  its  fraj^rance  as  sweet  as  an  angel's 
breath.  So  the  hlies  preach  us  a  sermon  on  purity ; 
purity  in  Hfe,  purity  in  thought,  purity  in  heart, 
purity  in  the  midst  of  vilest  surroundings.  "Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart  for  they  shall  see  God,"  said 
the  Savior  on  that  same  mount,  and  then  looking 
down  upon  the  lilies  he  continued:  "Consider  the 
lilies  of  the  field,"  how  pure  they  are. 

Consider  also  the  sermon  upon  TRUST  which 
the  tlowers  pireach.  The  water-lily,  when  all  goes 
well,  floats  like  a  fairy  bark  uj/on  the  placid  waters 
of  the  lake.  But  when  the  storm  comes  down,  dark- 
ening the  sky  with  clouds  and  raising  the  svaters 
into  wave;  which  threaten  to  drag  the  lily  from  its 
moorings,  then  it  folds  its  snowy  petals  upon  its 
heart  of  gold,  transforming  itself  into  a  green  bulb, 
and  withdraws  itself  into  the  bosom  of  the  lake, 
w  here  it  rests  secure,  no  matter  how  fierce  the  storm 
may  rage.  The  waves  may  go  sweeping  over  it, 
the  winds  may  go  howling  by,  the  lighining  flash 
from  clouds  of  black,  but  the  lily  lies  asleep  in  the 
bosom  of  the  lake  as  peaceful,  as  trustful  as  a  babe 
i>pon  its  mother's  breast.  So  God  is  our  "shelter 
in  the  time  of  storm."  Ah,  there  come  times  in  life 
when  our  frail  bark  is  tossed  in  storm  like  the  lily 
upon  the  lake.  In  these  times  when  all  the  waves 
and  the  billows  seem  to  go  over  us,  an»i  we  reel  to 
and  fro  in  the  tempest,  let  us  enfold  within  us  the 
golden  heart  of  trust  in  God  and  withdraw  our- 
selves by  faith  into  the  liosom  of  the  Almi;:;bty.  that 
we  may  rest  secure  in  the  "seer  *  place  of  the  Most 


VOICES  FROM  THE  FLOWERS        141 

High"  until  the  stonn  is  past,  the  night  gone,  and 
the  mom  grows  into  the  perfect  day.  Learn  this 
lesson  i  trust  from  the  lily,  and  whatever  may  he 
the  storm  that  darkens  your  sky  declare,  "What  time 
the  tempest  rages  I  will  trust  in  tlwe." 

Consider  the  sermon  upon  ASriRATIOX  which 
the  flow>ers  preach.    They  arc  ever  climbing  ui>ward 
and   so  they  bid   us   seek  those  things   which  are 
above.    How  upright  is  the  golden-rod  which  nods 
its  plumtd  head  along  our  country  roads.     It  has 
raised  itself  above  the  weeds  and  the  underbrush, 
and  has  ever  sought  the  sunlight  until  at  last  the 
golden  sunl>cams  have  kissed  its  flcnvers  into  gold. 
Tliere  is  another  flower  that  teaches  this  lesson  of 
aspiration:  a  huml^le  flower  which  has  looked  so 
long  and  so  lovingly  into  the  face  of  the  sun  that 
its  own  blossom  has  caught  the  likeness  of  that  orb 
of  day,  so  that  now  it  is  called  the  day's  eye,  or  daisy. 
Do  }ou  not  remember  how  we  are  told  to  look  with 
loving  eyes  upon  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  until 
we  become  transformed  into  his  image?    What  as- 
piration there  is  in  the  ivy,  the  woodbine,  the  honey- 
suckle, ever  climbing  upward,  over  fences,  over  trellis 
work,  over  cottages,  climbing,  climbing-,  climljing, 
over  ruins,  rocks,  castles,  cathedrals,  scattering  blos- 
soms and  fragrance  as  they  go,  but  ever  rea.ching  up- 
ward toward  the  sun  until  they  become  the  very  in- 
carnation of  those  words  of  the  apostle,  "Seek  those 
things  which  are  above."     Wbuld  to  God  that  we 
might  have  within  us  tljat  same  aspiring  impulse  so 
that  we  might  no  longer  "grovel  here  below,"  but 


142 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


>  ^ 


f^^ 


aspire  with  holy  ambitions  to  grow  upward  into 
"Christ,"  never  thinking  that  we  have  yet  attained, 
never  dreaming  that  we  are  yet  perfect,  forgetting 
the  things  that  are  behind,  and  pressing  toward  the 
prize.  Consider  the  flowers,  how  they  grow,  and 
then  be  not  content  to  be  preserved  in  the  church 
like  some  Hfeless  specimen  in  a  botanical  collection, 
but  aspire  to  higher  things,  send  out  new  tendrils, 
attain  new  heights. 

Consider  the  sermon  on  CONTENTMENT  which 
the  flowers  preach.  Flowers  are  content  to  live  and 
grow  just  where  providence  has  placed  them.  You 
never  heard  one  complain  of  its  hard  lot.  You  never 
saw  one  look  unhappy.  They  always  wear  a  smile 
of  contentment  upon  their  face.  Flowers  show  no 
sympathy  with  that  poet  who  wrote  : 

"Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen 
And  waste  its  fragrance  on  the  desert  air." 

When  he  penned  those  words  he  was  interpreting 
his  own  unhappy  heart  and  not  the  feelings  of  the 
flowers,  for  they  are  content  to  live  and  bloom  and 
die  wherever  God  has  placed  them,  satisfied  if  their 
maker  sees  them  and  is  pleased  with  them.  Even 
the  "little  flower  in  the  crannied  wall"  thrusts  forth 
its  blossoms  and  teaches  the  world  a  lesson  of  con- 
tentment. I  once  saw  a  bluebell  growing  in  the 
crevice  of  a  rock  where  there  seemed  scarce  enough 
soil  to  support  its  tiny  life.  Did  that  bluebell  com- 
plain that  "the  lines  had  fallen  unto  it  in  hard 
places?"  did  it  look  with  envy  upon  more  favored 


VOICES  FROM  THE  FLOWERS        143 

flowers  and  refuse  to  grow?  did  it  cry  out  to  God 
against  its  lot?  No,  no!  Each  day  it  drank  all 
the  moisture  it  could  find,  and  each  night  God  sent 
it  more.  It  put  forth  leaf  after  leaf,  and  when  I  saw 
it  it  was  covered  with  beautiful  bluebells  which  a 
king  might  covet,  and  which  seemed  to  ring  out  a 
peal  of  glad  praise  to  God.  Ah,  friend,  complain  not 
nor  be  discouraged  wiih  thy  lot  though  it  be  hard. 
God  it  was  who  placed  thee  there.  He  puts  some 
of  his  choicest  flowers  by  the  stony  wayside  that 
there  they  may  give  comfort  to  some  weary  traveler. 
Harken  to  the  sermon  of  the  bluebells :  live  for  God 
and  be  content. 

Consider,  in  closing,  the  sermon  on  HELPFUL- 
NESS which  the  flowers  preach.  Have  you  ever 
thought  how  much  the  flowers  help  us  ?  how  they  are 
with  us  in  every  joy  and  sorrow,  in  every  stage  of 
life?  We  look  upon  those  flowers  placed  upon  the 
sacred  desk  so  constantly  by  faithful  hands  and  ex- 
claim, "Would  to  God  that  we  were  more  like  them  I" 
We  smell  their  fragrance  and  cry  out,  "Would  to 
God  that  the  influence  of  my  life  were  as  sweet !" 
We  observe  their  purity  and  then  we  pray,  "Oh,  God, 
make  our  lives  more  like  thy  flowers!"  Who  does 
not  love  the  flowers?  How  eagerly  we  gather  them 
when  children !  What  maiden  has  not  entwined  them 
in  her  hair  ?  What  youth  has  not  searched  for  them 
o'er  hill  and  dale?  Roses  and  orange  blossoms 
breathe  wishes  of  good  will  and  joy  at  every  mar- 
riage. What  good  cheer  and  kind  thoughts  the 
flowers  inspire  in  every  home  in  which  they  grow. 


144  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

What  comfort  they  bring  to  the  sick  room.  How 
the  sufferer  has  reached  out  trembling  hands  for 
the  flowers  when  both  food  and  friends  have  failed 
to  comfort.  What  hope  the  flowers  give  to  those 
who  are  bereaved,  whispering  sermons  of  the  resur- 
rection almost  as  sweet  as  that  sermon  from  our 
Savior's  lips.  And  when  at  last  all  other  help  has 
failed  us,  when  kindly  friends  have  borne  these 
bodies  to  their  last  resting  place  and  left  us  alone 
in  the  city  of  the  dead,  even  then  the  flowers  come 
and  bloom  upon  our  very  graves.  What  wonder 
that  we  love  them  when  they  help  us  so.  God  bless 
the  flowers !  May  we  be  unto  others  what  the  flow- 
ers are  to  us — ^helpers  for  every  time  of  need. 

Even  the  humblest  can  so  tune  his  soul  that  it 
will  hear  the  flowers  sing.  Not  to  poets  and  preach- 
ers and  seers  alone  is  this  privilege  given,  but  to 
every  being  made  in  the  image  of  God.  Truly 
"there  is  no  speech  or  language  where  their  voice 
is  not  heard,"  and  may  we  all  learn  to  understand 
the  voices  from  the  flowers— these  silent  voices  that 
tell  of  God. 


A 


t    3 

H 


CHAPTER  XIJ.I 

THE  LAKE  OF  JESUS 

"Galilee.  Blue  Galilee." 

The  Sea  of  Galilee  has  beautifully  been 
called  "The  Lake  of  Jesus,"  so  often  did  he  tread 
its  shores  and  sail  its  waves.  The  human  soul  finds 
in  transparent  waters  a  certain  fascination  that  it 
meets  nowhere  else.  Some  of  the  most  sacred  mem- 
ories, and  some  of  the  most  sorrowful  memories  of 
the  human  heart,  have  for  their  center  a  moss-grown 
well,  a  singing  brook,  a  lily-grown  pond,  a  placid 
lake,  a  sokmn  river  or  a  wave-tossed  sea.  Nor  was 
Christ's  experience  different  from  ours.  Tonight 
in  heaven  he  may  be  thinking  of  the  fountain  at 
Nazareth,  the  flood  of  Jordan,  the  waters  of  Txlerom, 
the  well  of  Jacob,  the  brook  Kedron,  the  Dead  Sea, 
the  blue  Mediterranean,  all  of  which  reflect  the 
scenes  of  his  earthly  life.  But  most  lovingly  and 
tenderly,  I  think,  must  his  memories  hover  over  Gali- 
lee, for  the  greater  part  of  his  earthly  ministry  was 
spent  t'f.on  her  shores.  Oh,  that  Galilee's  blue  waves 
could  speak  and  tell  us  all  they  know  of  Jesus ;  they 
could  describe  his  home  upon  her  shores ;  they  could 
paint  his  portrait  as  it  was  reflected  a  hundred  times 
in  their  depths ;  they  could  repeat  unnumbered  ser- 
ies 


I 


: 


i 


m  ; 
1 

1  - 


146 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


mons  and  blessed  sayings,  of  which  only  the  frag- 
ments have  come  to  us ;  they  could  tell  of  many  a 
loving  deed  now  unknown  ;  they  could  speak  of  many 
a  mighty  miracle  that  has  been  forgotten.  Oh,  that 
Galilee's  liquid  lips  could  speak  and  tell  us  all  she 
knows  of  Jesus,  her  story  would  be  of  priceless  value. 
She  must  have  known  him  even  better  than  did  the 
disciples  ; for  if  John  leaned  upon  Jesus'  bosom,  Jesus 
rested  upon  Galilee's  bosom.  The  face  of  that  lake 
seems  to  smile  for  solemn  joy  as  though  she  is  ever 
recalling  the  days  of  Jesus.  Well  may  Galilee  be 
called  "The  Lake  of  Jesus."  The  hills,  the  waters, 
the  waving  trees,  and  even  the  moaning  night  winds 
all  speak  of  him.  With  such  associations  we  may 
say  with  Dean  Stanley  that  this  is  "the  most  sacred 
sheet  of  water  that  this  earth  contains.' 

Let  me  describe  Galilee  as  we  saw  it.  Early  in 
the  morning  we  left  Nazareth,  and  our  dragoman 
told  us  that  we  should  take  luncheon  upon  the  shores 
of  Galilee  at  noon.  All  were  eager  for  the  first 
sight  of  the  lake.  At  last,  on  rounding  a  hill,  the 
blue  waters  appeared  amid  the  hills  far  below  us. 
Gradually  as  we  went  forward  the  view  unfurled 
until  we  stood  on  the  heights  overlooking  the  Lake 
of  Jesus.  There  was  "Galilee,  blue  Galilee,  where 
Jesus  loved  so  much  to  be."  Few  things  in  the 
Holy  Land  moved  me  more  deeply  than  did  that 
sight.  It  brought  Christ  nearer  to  me  than  had 
Nazareth  itself.  There  was  the  lake  over  which  he 
had  so  often  sailed  and  upon  whose  shores  he  had 
so  often  preached.    There  were  the  ruins  of  Tiber- 


ill 


■)ii 


I 


r 


^^^m^m:^^i 


THE  LAKE  OF  JESUS 


147 


ias,  Magdala,  Gennesseret,  Capernaum,  Bethsaida, 
Chorazin.  Behind  us  was  the  Mount  of  Beatitudes, 
and  across  the  Lake  was  Gadara,  and  the  place  of 
the  feeding  of  the  5,000.  It  all  came  rushing  over 
me  like  a  flood,  till  I  was  bewildered  with  sacred 
memories.  It  was  not  the  present  scene,  but  the  past 
memories  that  movc<l  me;  for  no  one  would  claim 
grandeur  of  scenery  for  Galilee  today.  It  is  not 
a  sea,  but  a  lake,  and  not  even  a  lake  of  broad  ex- 
panse. The  Dead  Sea  with  its  sombre  mountains 
and  dark  shadows  has  a  grandeur ;  the  Lake  of  Gali- 
lee with  its  pearly  shores  slumbering  amid  gently- 
rounded  hills  is  beautiful,  not  grand.  And  in  this 
they  correspond  to  their  histories,  for  while  the  Dead 
Sea  tells  "of  wrath  and  ruin,  of  judgment  and  de- 
struction," the  Lake  of  Galilee  tells  "of  mildness 
and  mercy,  of  gentleness  and  peace."  Well  did  the 
old  rabbis  say,  "Jehovah  hath  made  seven  seas,  btit 
Galilee  alone  does  he  love."  The  hills  of  Galilee 
are  almost  stripped  of  trees,  except  for  a  few  linger- 
ing palms  and  scattered  thorn  bushes,  the  scrub  oaks 
of  the  gorges  aird  the  oleanders  that  fringe  the  east- 
ern shores,  their  gorgeous  blossoms  overhanging  the 
water.  The  mountains  are  bleak  and  bare.  The 
only  inhabited  town  we  could  ?ee  was  Tiberias,  a 
fever-stricken  place  of  about  3,000  people.  Ruins 
of  ancient  cities  strewn  along  the  shores  give  the 
feeling  of  desolation.  There  are  no  cottages  and 
homes  such  as  we  see  about  our  American  lakes  to 
break  the  solitude.  At  night  all  is  darkness  round 
those  shores ;  or,  if  lights  appear,  they  are  but  the 


148 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


M 


H    M 


glittering  fireflies  or  the  camp  fires  of  wandering 
Arabs  or  bands  of  pilgrims.  Such  was  the  Galilee 
that  we  saw  from  our  saddles  that  day. 

Let  me  now  describe  to  you  Galilee  as  it  was  when 
Jesus  saw  it.    And  I  can  describe  it  accurately,  for 
Josephus,  a  Jewish  historian  who  lived  upon  those 
shores  but  a  few  years  after  Christ  was  crucified, 
has  described  it  copiously  and  his  writings  are  in 
our  hands.  All  was  different  when  Jesus  came  down 
from  Nazareth  to  find  his  home  and  his  disciples 
upon  these  shores.    Where  there  are  now  no  trees 
there  were  great  woods;  where  there  are  marshes 
there  were  noble  gardens ;  where  there  is  but  a  boat 
or  two  there  were  fleets  of  sails ;  where  there  is  one 
small  town  there  were  a  dozen  great  cities.  At  night 
numberless  lights  shone  round  about  that  lake  as 
the  stars  shine  round  the  moon,     The  Province  of 
Galilee  had  then  a  population  of  3,000,000  souls,  and 
this  lake  was  the  center  of  their  life.     Galilee  was 
then  girdled  with  cities.  All  around  about  her  waters 
would  mirror  city-walls,  houses,  synagogues,  castles, 
temples,  theaters,  Roman  forts.     These  shores  and 
hills,  swarmed  with  people  fishing  or  mending  their 
nets,  sowing  or  reaping,  journeying  to  and  fro,  upon 
foot  or  spreading  their  sails  for  the  breezes  of  the 
lake.     It  was  no  retired  mountain-lake  by  whose 
side  Jesus  took  up  his  abode.    He  was  not  to  be  a 
hermit,  but  a  Savior.    Nowhere  outside  of  Jerusa- 
lem itself  could  he  have  found  such  a  sphere  for  his 
works  and  words  of  mercy;  from  no  other  center 
could  hia  fame  have  gone  throughout  all  Syria ;  no- 


Kl 


THE  LAKE  OF  JESUS 


149 


where  else  could  he  have  drawn  around  him  the 
vast  multitudes  that  hung  upon  his  lips;  nowhere 
else  would  his  deeds  of  mercy  have  attracted  so 
"many  coming  and  going  that  he  had  not  time  so 
much  as  to  eat."  Such  was  the  Galilee  that  Jesus 
saw  when  he  "came  over  these  hills  from  Nazareth, 
or  walked  along  these  shell-strewn  --chores,  or  crossed 
over  to  the  other  side  in  a  fisher's  boat,  or  retired 
to  these  mountains  for  a  night  of  solitary  prayer. 
And  amid  these  scenes  he  spent  the  greater  part  of 
the  three  years  of  his  ministry. 

We  rode  down  the  steep  hillside,  passed  through 
the  filthy  narrow  streets  of  Tiberias,  and  pitched  our 
lunch-tent  close  beside  the  shore.  That  day  we 
bathed  in  Galilee  and  gathered  many  of  her  tiny 
shells,  and  left  our  footprints  in  those  sands  which 
1,900  years  ago  bore  the  marks  of  His  blessed  feet. 
Upon  these  shores  it  was  that  he  chose  those  won- 
derful men  who  were  to  establish  that  Kingdom 
which  shall  never  end.  There,  upon  the  shore,  we 
saw  the  nets  spread  out  to  dry,  and  as  we  sat  down 
to  lunch  we  found  that  our  dragoman  had  secured 
for  us  some  of  the  fish  of  Galilee.  They  were  ex- 
ceedingly bony  and  rather  tasteless,  a  fish  resembling 
our  perch,  but  as  we  ate  of  them  we  remembered 
how  often  the  fish  of  this  lake  are  mentioned  in 
the  gospel  record.  "The  two  small  fishes"  which 
helped  to  feed  the  5,000  men  were  caught  in  Galilee; 
so  were  also  the  "few  fishes"  that  Jesus  multiplied 
for  the  4.000  hungry  hearers  who  had  "nothing  to 
eat."    It  was  from  the  mouth  of  a  fish  which  he  had 


m^Z^-:' 


150 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


just  caught  from  this  lake  that  Peter  took  the 
tribute  money  and  paid  taxes  for  himself  and  his 
Master. 

Here  it  was  that  occurred  that  miraculous 
draught  of  fishes,  so  great  that  the  amazed  Peter 
"fell  down  at  Jesus'  knees,  saying,  'Depart  from  me; 
for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  oh  Lord'."  It  was  by  a  simi- 
lar draught  of  "great  fishes,  an  hundred  and  fifty  and 
three,"  caught  by  Peter  and  his  friends  after  they 
had  toiled  all  night  and  caught  nothing,  that  the 
risen  Redeemer  revealed  himself  to  his  disciples  on 
the  shores  of  this  lake.  And  it  was  by  eating  "a 
piece  of  broiled  fish,"  cooked  upon  a  fire  of  coals 
upon  these  shores,  that  Jesus  sought  to  convince  his 
disciples  of  the  reality  of  his  resurrection  from  the 
dead.  We  cease  to  wonder,  therefore,  that  the  fig- 
ure of  a  fish  became  the  secret  symbol  of  the  early 
Christians  in  those  days  of  persecution  which  fol- 
lowed the  ascension  of  Qirist.  Thus  in  "Quo 
Vadis"  the  drawing  of  a  fish  in  the  sand  is  a  con- 
fession of  Christ. 

Standing  tipon  these  shores  or  in  a  fisher's  boat, 
Christ  preached  the  "sermons  beside  the  sea." 
Among  these  must  be  included  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  for,  whatever  may  be  the  exact  location  of 
the  Mount  of  Beatitudes,  we  may  be  sure  that  it  was 
one  of  those  high  hills  to  the  west  of  the  lake  which 
toward  evening  casts  its  shadows  across  Galilee  to- 
day. Standing  there,  with  the  multitude  at  his  feet, 
and  the  blue  sea  just  beyond,  he  "opened  his  mouth," 
saying  "Blessed.  Blessed,  Blessed.  Blessed,"  upon 


THE  LAKE  OF  JESUS 


151 


"the  poor  in  spirit"  and  "they  that  mourn,"  "the 
meek"  and  "they  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  right- 
eousness," "the  merciful"  and  "the  pure  in  heart," 
"the  peacemakers"  and  "they  that  have  been  perse- 
cuted for  righteousness'  sake."     Never  man  spake 
as  he  spake  from  that  hilltop  overloorking  Galilee. 
The  very  angels  must  have  silenced  their  music  that 
they  might  hear  that  proclamation  of  the  magna 
charta  of  the  human  soul.    The  winds  took  up  those 
words  and  bore  them  to  far  off  lands;   the    waves 
learned  their  music  and  beat  it  forth  upon  foreign 
shores ;  the  very  mountains  heard  and  "clapped  their 
hands   for  joy"   as  they  bore   those  echoes   from 
mountain  top  to  mountain  top ;  above  all,  those  won- 
derful words  were  heard  by  human  hearts  and  have 
been  echoing  and  re-echoing  there  from  that  day  to 
this.    From  Sinai  came  cursings ;  from  Galilee  came 
blessings.    There  were  heard  thunderings ;  here  the 
voice  of  Jesus.    Those  Beatitudes  of  Jesus  are  the 
most  precious  of  the  church's  jewels.    They  are  the 
coronet  of  gems,   each   engraved  with  that  word 
"Blessed,"  placed  by  the  Divine  Bridegroom  upon 
the  brow  of  his  earthly  bride.       Since  that  day  all 
w  ho  have  learned  these  words  by  the  heart  and  with 
the  heart  have  seen  the  mountains  spread  forth  their 
hands  of  rock     in  mighty     benedictions  and     cry 
"Blessed,  blessed,  blessed!"     They  have  heard  the 
winds,  both  in  summer  zephyr  and  winter  storm,  cry 
"Blessed,  blessed,  blessed!"    They  have  stood  be- 
side the  sea  and  heard  the  waves  open  their  foaming 
lips  as  though  to  curse,  but  they  fell  in  blessings  at 


152 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


f 


m 


■>\.H 


their  feet.  Happy  indeed  is  he  who  has  learned  to 
"do  unto  others  as  he  would  that  others  should  do 
unto  him,"  and  "to  love  his  enemies"  and  to  "pray 
for  them  that  despitefully  use  him,"  for  that  man 
shall  be  filled  with  the  beatitudes  of  Jesus. 

On  another  day  Jesus  "began  to  teach  by  the  sea- 
side," and  so  great  were  the  multitudes  of  people 
that  thronged  around  him  eager  to  hear  his  words 
that  "he  entered  into  a  boat  and  sat ;  and  all  the  mul- 
titude stood  on  the  beach."  Can  you  not  see  them 
now — the  placid  lake  amid  the  hills,  the  crowds  gath- 
ered in  silence  upon  the  shores,  and  Jesus  sitting  in 
the  boat  close  by  the  shore,  his  face  aglow  with  love 
as  he  speaks  to  them  in  parables.  Lifting  up  his 
hand  he  points  to  the  hillside  where  a  farmer  is  sow- 
ing grain  and  he  tells  them  of  "the  sower  who  went 
forth  to  sow,"  and  some  seed  fell  upon  the  wayside, 
some  among  thorns  and  some  on  good  ground.  So 
should  it  be  with  the  gospel  seed.  Seeing  a  man 
with  a  lamp  in  his  hand  which  he  was  taking  to  the 
market  to  get  filled  with  oil,  Jesus  said,  "No  man 
when  he  hath  lighted  a  lamp  covereth  it  with  a  ves- 
sel, or  putteth  it  under  a  bed;  but  putteth  it  on  a 
candlestick  that  they  which  enter  may  see  the  light." 
So  should  every  Christian  be  a  shining  light,  unhid- 
den, undimmed.  Pointing  then  again  to  the  fields 
that  came  down  even  to  the  water's  edge  he  showed 
them  the  tares  and  wheat  growing  together  and  told 
them  the  parable  of  the  Wheat  and  Tares,  which 
shall  finally  be  separated,  one  gathered  into  barns, 
the  other  burned.  So  sliall  it  be  at  God's  Judgment. 
Again,  he  i>uiiiled  to  ilie  nuisiard  plant  which  sprang 


THE  LAKE  OF  JESUS 


153 


from  the  smellest  of  all  seeds,  but  which  grew  until 
it  became  the  greatest  of  all  herbs.  So  shall  it  be 
with  the  kingdom  of  God:  a  handful  of  fishermen 
in  the  first  century,  unnumbered  millions  in  the  nine- 
teenth. Yet  another  parable  did  he  speak  to  the  list- 
ening multitudes  as  he  sat  in  tlie  boat  that  day,  the 
parable  of  the  woman  who  put  the  leaven  in  the  three 
measures  of  meal  till  the  whole  was  leavened ;  so 
shall  it  be  with  his  words.  They  may  seem  but  few, 
but  they  will  leaven  the  whole  world.  And  as  they 
were  about  leaving  he  spoke  yet  once  more.  A 
fisherman's  boat  had  just  come  to  shore  drawing  a 
net  filled  with  all  kinds  of  fishes.  Pointing  to  this 
net  as  it  lay  upon  the  shore  with  its  wriggling  occu- 
pants he  said,  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened 
unto  a  net  that  was  cast  into  the  sea  and  gathered 
of  every  kind,  which,  when  it  was  filled,  they  drew 
on  the  beach ;  and  they  sat  down  and  gathered  the 
good  into  vessels,  but  the  bad  they  cast  away.  So 
shall  it  be  at  the  end  of  the  world." 

Beside  this  sea  he  also  wrought  many  of  his 
mightiest  miracles,  miracles  in  Capernaum,  miracles 
at  Gadara,  miracles  beyond  the  lake,  and  miracles 
upon  its  bosom. 

To  me  the  n)ost  majestic  of  all  the  miracles  of 
Jesus  is  the  stilling  of  the  tempest.  Only  those  who 
have  witnessed  a  storm  at  sea  can  appreciate  all  it 
means  to  still  such  waves  and  hush  such  winds.  At 
the  end  of  a  day  of  excitement  and  toil  Jesus  said 
to  his  disciples,  "Let  us  go  over  unto  the  other  side 
of  the  lake,"  and  they  launched  forth.  So  ex- 
hausted was  Jesus  that  "as  they  sailed  he  fell  asleep." 


154 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


"And  there  came  down  a  storm  of  wind  on  the  lake," 
and  the  waves  heat  into  the  Iwat  insomuch  that  the 
boat  was  now  fiUing."  Such  storms  are  most  com- 
mon there  today.  And  the  terrified  disciples,  losing 
control  of  the  l>oat  and  losing  all  hope,  shook  their 
Master  by  the  shoulder,  crying,  "Master !  Master !  wc 
perish,  we  perish !"  As  we  were  crossing  this  lake 
also  in  a  fisher's  boat  a  wind  sLarm  swept  down  upon 
us,  and  some  of  our  party,  as  they  saw  the  water  dash 
into  the  boat,  were  almost  as  terrified  as  were  the 
disciples.  The  spray  drenched  some  of  us  to  the 
skin,  but  the  Master  was  with  us  as  he  was  with 
them,  though  we  heard  not  his  "Peace,  be  still,"  ex- 
cept with  the  cars  of  our  soul. 

After  spending  a  day  and  night  upon  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  and  roundabout  its  shores  we  mounted  our 
horses  and  started  northward  for  Damascus.  Upon 
the  summit  of  the  rocky  mountain  that  rises  to  the 
north  we  drew  rein  and  paused  for  a  few  moments 
that  we  might  take  our  last  view  of  that  lake  and  of 
the  Holy  Land.  There  it  lay,  smiling  in  the  sun- 
shine like  a  sleeping  child,  while  the  hills  hung 
over  it  like  guardiatis  of  rock.  How  marvelous  has 
been  the  history  of  this  sacred  sheet  of  water.  How 
often  must  Jesus  return  in  memory  and  stand  again 
upon  its  shores.  If  he  is  indeed  to  come  in  bodily 
presence,  as  his  disciples  saw  him  go,  surely  there 
is  no  place  on  earth  more  likely  to  be  blessed  by  his 
visit  than 

"Galilee,  blue  Galilee, 
Where  Jesus  loved  so  much  to  be." 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  WELL  BETWEEN  TWO  MOUNTAINS 
Almost  every  one  has  some  recollection  of  an 
old  well  around  which  childhood's  memories  love 
to  linger.  In  these  western  lands  the  inartistic  wind- 
mill has  robbed  us  of  the  old-fashioned  well  around 
which  children  loved  to  gather,  peering  down  into 
its  rock-rimmed  darkness  where  they  could  see  the 
reflection  of  their  faces  in  the  waters  below ,  and 
to  this  same  well  they  would  come  later  on  in  life 
to  craw  up  the  dripping  bucket,  and  drink  of  waters 
which  had  sprung  clear  and  cool  from  the  living 
rock  reminding  the  drinker  not  of  reservoirs  and 
mains,  pipes  of  iron  and  faucets  of  brass,  but  rather 
of  the  nectar  of  the  guds.  There  is  no  one  of  you 
but  has  sung  of  "The  old  oaken  bucket,  the  iron- 
bound  bucket,  the  moss-covered  bucket,  that  hung 
in  the  well,"  and  many  of  you  will  remember  that 
other  old  song, 

"As  I  wandered  round  the  liomestead, 

Many  a  dear  familiar  spot 
Brought  within  my  recollection 

Scenes  I'd  seemingly  forgot; 
There,  the  orchard  meadow  yonder ; 

Here,  the  deep,  old-fashioned  well, 
And  the  old  moss-covered  bucket 

Sent  a  thrill  no  tongue  can  tell." 

155 


156 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


M 


The  farther  we  go  back  in  history  the  more  im- 
portant does  the  well  become  until  in  scriptural 
times  we  find  that  many  of  the  most  romantic  and 
pathetic  scenes  have  a  well  for  their  center.  In 
those  eastern  lands  where  water  is  so  scarce  a  well 
becomes  the  very  source  of  life.  Roundabout  their 
mouths  it  was  that  in  the  very  dawn  of  history  we 
see  angry  shepherds  contending  for  the  right  to  use 
them.  Here  also  occurred  many  of  those  romantic 
meetings  with  women  who  had  come  down  to  the 
wells  to  draw  water  from  their  rocky  depths: 
Eliezer  met  Rebecca  at  the  well ;  Jacob  met  the 
beautiful  Rachel  at  the  well ;  Moses  met  Zipporah 
at  the  well ;  Christ  met  with  the  woman  of  Samaria 
at  the  well.  David,  when  pressed  by  his  foes,  longed 
for  a  drink  of  water  from  the  well  which  was  beside 
the  gate  of  Bethlehem.  Abraham  gathered  with  his 
flocks  at  the  well  of  Beersheba.  We  see  great  cara- 
vans of  heavily  laden  camels,  after  their  long,  I: 
desert  march,  stopping  to  moisten  their  parched  lips 
at  the  well.  We  see  Moses  with  the  hosts  of  Israel 
encamped  beside  the  well  of  Moab.  These  were 
also  the  resorts  of  robbers,  and  we  read  of  "the 
noise  of  archers  in  the  places  of  drawing  water." 
And  what  these  wells  were  ages  ago  they  are  today. 
The  "shepherds  may  still  be  seen  leading  their  flocl<s 
of  sheep  and  goats  to  their  margin ;  the  women  still 
come  with  their  pitchers  and  talk  to  those  who  "sit 
by  the  well";  the  traveler  still  looks  forv/ard  to  it 
as  his  resting  place  for  the  night,  if  it  be  in  a  place 


THE  WELL 


157 


of  safety;  or,  if  it  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
wilder  Bedouins,  is  hurried  on  by  his  dragoman 
without  halting  for  a  moment."    And  thus  in  these 
wells  we  may  see  reflected  not  only  our  own  faces, 
but  here  we  may  behold  the  scenes  of  ancient  life.    I 
am  to  tell  you  now  of  Jacob's  Well  the  most  inter- 
esting of  them  all,  for  the  associations  that  gather 
round  the  well  of  Jacob  are  dearer  and  more  widely 
extended  than  those  of  all  others  put  together.    Here 
sat  not  only  the  patriarchs  drinking  of  its  waters 
and  watering  their  flocks ;  here  "Jesus  .    .   .  being 
wearied  with  his  journey,  sat  .    .    .  on  the  well." 
As  the  traveler  journeys  north  from  Jerusalem, 
the  first  day's  journey  carries  him  across  the  land  of 
Ephraim,  thirty  miles  of  rocky  mountains,  bleak 
and  bare,  filled  with  gorges  and  ravines,  imperiling 
the  life  and  limb  of  both  horse  and  horseman.    But 
on  the  second  day,  while  the  rocky  mountains  were 
still  round  about  us,  the  greater  part  of  the  way  was 
through  beautiful  valleys,  green  with  the  springing 
crops,  though  it  was  "yet  four  months  and  then 
cometh  harvest."     In  some  places  scores  of  oxen 
were  ploughing;  or,  again,  we  saw   the  bending 
forms  of  women  in  the  fields  weeding  out  the  crim- 
son tares  from  the  golden  grain,  probably  the  very 
work  the  Samaritan  woman  left  when  she  came  to 
draw  water  for  her  thirsty  comrades.    Upon  such 
scenes  must  oor  Savior's  eyes  have  rested,  for  he 
passed  along  this  same  way  at  the  5ame  season  of 
the  year,  the  early  spring.     Soon  after  lunch  we 
came   to   Jacob's   well,   at    which   he   rested   and 


158 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


preached  the  gospel.  As  he  sat  there  alone,  his  dis- 
ciples gone  to  Sychar  to  buy  bread  and  the 
woman  not  yet  come,  the  history  of  that  well  must 
have  come  to  his  mind.  Nearly  2,cxx)  years  before 
Christ  was  born  Jacob  had  come  to  this  place,  and, 
beholding  these  fertile  valleys,  had  chosen  them  for 
his  flocks.  Here  he  had  digged  this  well,  for,  though 
there  was  a  bounteous  stream  of  watei  but  a  few 
miles  beyond,  it  was  held  by  his  enemies.  Here  the 
old  patriarch  lived  with  his  sons  around  him.  Up 
and  down  these  valleys  they  led  their  flocks,  search- 
ing for  the  "green  pastures."  Here  at  evening  they 
might  be  seen  gathered  at  the  well.  Only  a  few 
miles  north  it  was  that  Joseph  was  betrayed  by  his 
brethren  and  sold  to  a  passing  caravan  that  he  might 
become  the  prime  minister  of  Egypt.  And  when 
his  days  were  numbered  he  made  them  swear  that 
they  would  not  bury  him  in  Egypt,  but  carry  his 
bones  to  his  old  home  beside  the  well.  So  Joseph's 
tomb  may  be  seen  today  close  beside  the  well  of 
Jacob.  It  is  a  rude  enclosure  about  twenty  feet 
square,  built  of  stone  and  covered  with  whitewash, 
like  the  Moslem  graves  of  the  country.  The  in- 
terior is  dimly  lighted  w^ith  votive  lamps  and  a  black 
pall  with  a  Hebrew  (Syriac)  inscription  is  spread 
over  the  grave  where  lie  the  bones  of  Joseph,  "in  a 
parcel  of  ground  which  Jacob  bought  of  the  sons  of 
Hamor,  the  father  of  Shechem,  for  an  hundred 
pieces  of  silver;  and  it  became  the  inheritance  of 
the  children  of  Joseph." 
Jacob's  Well  was  formerly  covered  by  a  church, 


THE  WELL 


159 


built  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  with  the  well  in  the  cen- 
ter.   This  church,  erected  probably  by  the  Crusaders, 
has  long  since  been  demolished,  though  some  of  its 
ruins  still  remain.    As  we  approached  Jacob's  Well 
we  passed  through  a  beautiful  little  garden  with 
olive  trees,  fig  trees,  a  palm  or  two,  and  countless 
flowers.    A  little  white-domed  building  covers  the 
well.     Entering  this  we  found  ourselves  in  a  tiny 
chapel  in  whose  "dim  religious  light,"  shed  by  the 
hanging  lamps,  we  could  discern  the  opening  of  the 
well.  The  well  is  about  seventy-five  feet  deep,  seven 
feet  in  diameter,  and  walled  up  with  stone.  We  low- 
ered candles  into  it  and  could  see  the  water  spark- 
ling in  their  light  far  below.   "We  had  nothing  to 
draw  with  and  the  well  was  deep,"  but  the  Arabs 
drew  up  some  of  the  water  and  we  found  it  refresh- 
ing, though  it  might  not  bear  scientific  investigation 
without  revealing  microbes.     Beneath  the  modern 
curbstone  is  an  ancient  one  made  of  a  great  block  of 
limestone,  in  wnose  sides  are  deep  cuts  worn  by  the 
ropes  as  they  have  lowered  and  raised  the  pitchers 
from  the  well  in  bygone  centuries.    For  aught  I 
know  it  may  be  the  very  curbstone  upon  which 
Oirist  sat.  We  stood  there  with  uncovered  heads  and 
read  the  fourth  chapter  of  John.  It  harmonized  per- 
fectly with  all  that  was  before  us  and  around  us. 
Christ  had  been  there !  We  could  draw  a  small  circle 
and  say  with  certainty,  "Jesus  once  stood  within  that 
circle."    At  other  places  -ve  talk  of  "probabilities" ; 
here  we  speak  of  "certainties."     This  is  the  only 
spot  on  all  the  earth  to  which  we  may  point  and 


i 


T-IT 


i6o 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


l|i  ; 


say  positively  "Jesus  was  here."  Of  all  others  there 
is  some  doubt ;  this  is  sure.  Here  Jesus  sat  at  the 
noonday  hour  and  preached  to  the  woman  who  came 
with  her  pitcher  to  draw  water.  Jacob's  Well  is  just 
at  the  entrance  of  a  narrow  valley  that  runs  between 
two  great  mountains,  Ebal  and  Gerizim ;  and  when 
the  woman  spoke  of  'this  mountain"  she  undoubt- 
edly pointed  to  Mount  Gerizim,  which  towered  above 
them  as  they  sat. 

It  is  an  historic  mount.  Beneath  its  shadows  Abra- 
ham first  halted  when  he  came  from  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees  into  the  land  which  God  should  give  him, 
and  there  beneath  its  terebinths  he  built  the  first 
altar  which  the  Holy  Land  had  known,  and  wor- 
shiped the  living  God  where  naught  but  idols  had 
been  adored  before.  Here  also,  as  I  have  said, 
Jacob  had  his  home.  Moreover,  some  of  the  most 
learned  scholars  believe  that  it  was  here  and  not  at 
Jerusalem  that  Abraham  met  Melchizedek,  the  mys- 
terious high  priest;  that  upon  this  mount  it  was 
that  he  was  about  to  sacrifice  his  son  Isaac;  that 
upon  the  smooth  sheet  of  rock  at  the  top  of  Mount 
Gerizim  the  first  temple  was  built  to  Jehovah.  How- 
ever this  may  be,  we  must  surely  climb  this  mount 
and  recall  its  history. 

Accompanied  by  an  Arab  guide,  two  of  us  urged 
our  reluctant  horses  up  the  steep  and  rocky  mountain 
side,  and  after  an  hour's  hard  climb  reached  the  top. 
Spread  before  us  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
views  in  Palestine;  mountain  and  plain  and  fertile 
valley,  fields  of  as  many  colors  as  Joseph's  coat, 


THE  WELL 


i6i 


Joseph's  tomb,  and  Jacob's  Well,  and  the  city  o£ 
Shechem,  all  adding  to  the  grandeur  of  the  scene; 
while  just  across  the  vale  in  which  Shechem  lay 
was  Mount  Ebal,  its  bald  head  rising  even  above 
Gerizim.  Springing  from  our  saddles,  with  our 
Bibles  in  hand,  we  recalled  the  history  of  the  mount, 
and  read  how  Jotham  "went  and  stood  in  the  top 
of  Mount  Gerizim  and  lifted  up  his  voice,"  rebuking 
the  people  of  Shechem  for  their  faithlessness  in  his 
beautiful  parable  of  the  trees,  who  "went  forth  on  a 
time  to  anoint  a  king  over  them."  Trying  in  vain 
to  crown  the  olive  tree  and  the  fig  tree  and  the  vine, 
they  finally  chose  the  bramble,  out  of  which  came 
fire  that  destroyed  the  other  three.  And  when  the 
fearless  prophet  had  shouted  in  their  ears  this  para- 
ble foretelling  their  ruin  he  "ran  away  and  fled." 
Several  lofty  cliffs  of  Gerizim  literally  overhang 
the  city  of  Shechem,  and  from  any  of  these  his 
voice  might  have  been  heard.  Indeed,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  the  public  crier  of  villages  of  Lebanon 
resorts  to  just  such  places.  "In  the  stillness  of  the 
evening,  after  the  people  have  returned  home  from 
their  distant  fields,  he  ascends  the  mountain-side 
above  the  place  and  there  'lifts  up  his  voice  and 
cries'  as  Jotham  did :  and  he  gives  forth  his  procla- 
mation with  such  distinctness  that  all  can  hear  and 
understand.  Indeed  the  people  of  these  mountain 
countries  are  able,  from  long  practice,  so  to  pitch 
their  voices  as  to  be  heard  distinctly  at  distances 
almost  incredible."  So  Jotham  stood  upon  those 
cliffs  and  spake  his  warning. 


"frfftW; 


162 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


Here  on  the  slopes  of  Mounts  Ebal  and  Gerizim 
occurred  the  most  august  religious  assembly  that 
ever  the  sun  shone  on,  for,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
that  assembly  met  upon  the  slopes  of  Ebal  and 
Gcrizim.     Soon  after  the  Israelites  came  into  the 
Holy  Land  with  their  thousands  and  tens  of  thou- 
sands, their  men  and  women  and  children  number- 
ing in  all  perhaps  two  million  souls,  they  were 
led  by  Joshua  up  this  fertile  valley,  past  Jacob's 
Well,  to  the  narrow  vale  between  these  great  mount- 
ains.   While  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord 
supported  by  the  priests  stood  in  the  valley,  the  peo- 
ple divided,  some  going  upon  the  slopes  of  one 
moimt,  some  upon  the  slopes  of  the  other,  the  great 
multitude  of  them  undoubtedly  almost  filling  those 
two  great  natural  amphitheatres,  which  may  still  be 
seen  there,  as  though  made  by  the  hand  of  God  at 
the  creation  of  the  world  for  that  day  of  solemn 
worship.    Then  Joshua  "read  all  the  words  of  the 
law,  the  blessings  and  the  cursings."   As  we  stood 
there  upon  Gerizim  that  night  we  imagined  the 
hosts  of  Israel  gathered  thus.  The  mountains  are  so 
close  together  "that  they  form  a  natural  sounding- 
board."    I  shouted  to  hear  the  responsive  echo  and 
fancied  how  impressive  it  must  have  been  when  the 
loud-voiced  Levites  proclaimed,  "Cursed  be  the  man 
that  maketh  any  graven  image."    And  then  the  tre- 
mendous "Amen!"  ten- fold  louder,  swelling  from 
the  lips  of  all  the  people,  echoed  from  mount  to 
mount,  and   far  out  across  the  plain.     It  was  the 
grandest  religious  assembly  that  the  world  has  ever 


\k 


THE   WELL 


163 


seen.    And  I  fancy  that  Jesus  must  have  pictured  it 
to  himself  as  he  sat  alone  at  the  well. 

To  Mount  Gerizim  Joshua  came  again,  late  in 
life,  summoning  the  ten  tribes  to  appear  before  him, 
as  though  the  very  presence  of  those  mountains 
would  remind  them  of  the  vows  they  had  taken 
yeais  before;  vows,  alas,  which  were  so  soon  for- 
gotten. We  see  the  aged  man  of  God  stand  before 
them,  and  hear  his  clear  voice  ring  out  "Qioose  ye 
this  day  whom  ye  will  serve,  ...  as  for  me  and 
my  house  we  will  serve  the  Lord."  Then  followed 
a  grand  consecration  meeting,  in  which  the  people 
pledgee!  themselves  again  to  Jehovah  and  his  wor- 
ship. And  Joshua  took  down  their  vows  and  had 
them  engraven  upon  a  great  stone,  "and  set  it  up 
there  under  an  oak  which  is  by  the  sanctuary  of  the 
Lord."  And  Joshua  said  unto  all  the  people:  "Be- 
hold this  stone  shall  be  a  witness  unto  us,  for  it 
hath  heard  all  the  words  of  the  Lord  which  he 
spake  unto  us ;  it  shall  be  therefore  a  witness  unto 
you  lest  ye  deny  your  God."  Then  it  was  that  this 
aged  servant  of  the  Lord  died.  His  work  was  done 
and  they  buried  him  in  Mount  Ephraim.  Had  these 
vows  been  kept  there  would  have  been  no  .'-  mari- 
tans.  The  Samaritan  nation,  to  whom  the  woman 
belonged,  was  a  monument  of  disobedience. 

But,  alas,  for  human  constancy,  both  these  solemn 
vows  made  here  at  Gerizim  were  forgotten.  Israel 
turned  from  Jehovah  after  other  gods,  and  were  bit- 
terly punished  for  their  sins.  The  king  of  Assyria 
came  down  upon  them,  conquered  them,  and  carried 


164 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


off  the  ten  tribes  into  captivity.    In  order  to  repeople 
their  devastated  land  he  brought  people  from  five 
different  nations  "and  placed  them  in  the  cities  of 
Samaria  instead  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  they 
possessed  Samaria  and  dwelt  in  the  cities  thereof. 
From  the  mixed  blood  of  these  people,  mixed  again 
with  the  blood  of  the  Jews  who  had  escaped  exile, 
there  sprang  the  Samaritan  race.    These  people  were 
originally  idolators;  but  shortly  after  their  settle- 
ment a  frightful  plague  visited  them.     Securing  a 
Jewish     priest,     therefore,     they     besought     him 
to    instruct    them    in    the    worship    of    Jehovah. 
This  faith  they  at  once  accepted  and  combined  with 
their  old  idolatories:    "They  feared  the  Lord,"  we 
are  told,  "and  served  their  graven  images."    Grad- 
ually, however,  they  were  weaned  from  their  ancient 
superstitions. 

When    the     Israelites    returned     and     began 
to  build  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  these  Samari- 
tans volunteered  to  help  them;  but  their  generous 
offer  was  scornfully  rejected  by  the  haughty  Jews, 
and  that  was  the  beginning  of  a  strife  that  has  con- 
tinued to  this  day;  so  that  the  woman  could  say 
truthfully.  "The  Jews  have  no  dealings  with  the 
Samaritans."    Some  of  the  leading  Jews  joined  the 
Samaritans  and  helped  them  in  erecting  a  rival  tem- 
ple on  Mount  Gerizim.     That  stately  temple  was 
razed  to  the  ground  in  the  wars  of  the  Maccabees 
more  than  a  century  before  Christ  was  born;  so 
that  when  Christ  sat  at  the  well  an  altar  built  upon 
these  ruins  was  all  that  Gerizim  could  boast.    We 


-!*».*:•'«. . 


T-aiBI^MlS^?''T:^KJB^* 


THE  WELL 


165 


dismounted  from  our  horses  and  rambled  around 
among  the  ruins  of  that  ancient  temple;  and  as 
we  did  so  the  words  of  the  Samaritan  woman  kept 
ringing  in  our  memories :  "Our  fathers  worshiped 
in  this  mountain,  and  ye  say  that  in  Jerusalem  is  the 
place  where  men  ought  to  worship." 

The  only  Samaritans  in  the  world  today  are  to 
be  found  in  the  city  of  Shechem,  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Gerizim,  and  they  are  but  a  handful.    Posi- 
tively refusing  to  marry  with  people  outside  their 
own  number  and  adhering  with  marvelous  tenacity 
to  their  own  religion,  they  have  gradually  died  out 
until  only  about  a  hundred  of  them  are  left,  and  soon 
even  they  will  be  gone.     "The  oldest  and  smallest 
sect  in  the  world,"  they  still  worship  in  their  hum- 
ble sanctuary  at  the  foot  of  the  mount,  upon  which 
the  temple  of  their  fathers  stood.    We  visited  this 
little  synagogue,  and  saw  their  venerable  high  priest. 
We  had  to  remove  our  shoes  before  entering  there, 
and  to  observe  the  greatest  reverence.    Here  we  saw 
what  is  perhaps  the  most  ancient  manuscript  of  the 
Bible  in  the  world,  known  to  scholars  as  the  "Sa- 
maritan Pentateuch,"  and  claimed  by  the  Samaritans 
to  have  been  written  by  the  grandson  of  Aaron! 
This  sacred  roll  is  certainly  "yellow  enough  to  have 
come  out  of  the  ark."     It  is  kept  in  a  silver  case, 
engraved  with  scenes  and  figures  of  the  temple.  The 
roll  itself  is  wrapped  in  a  cloth  of  crimson  satin  and 
is  regarded  with  such  reverence  that  when   it  is 
brought  forth  the  Samaritans  cast  themselves  upon 
their  faces  before  it.     The  yellowish-brown  parch- 


ftSTB!Sans^T-i  A  U 


i66 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


ment  is  much  discolored  by  use  and  is  undoubtedly 
very  old.  When  the  Samaritans  have  all  died  it  is 
to  become  the  property  of  the  British  Museum. 

"Gerizim  is  the  only  place  in  all  the  earth  where 
still  ascends  the  smoke  of  s?  .ifice" ;  but  to  its  sum- 
mit these  few  Samaritans  climb  each  year  that  they 
may  there  observe  the  passover.    There  we  found 
the  rude  altar  and  the  ashes  of  the  last  sacrifice.    At 
sunset  seven  men,  in  white  dresses,  take  each  a  lamb, 
and  at  the  utterance  of  a  given  word  in  the  service 
all  seven  lambs  are  slain  at  the  same  instant.   Every 
member  of  the  congregation  then  dips  his  hand  in 
the  blood  of  the  dying  victims  and  besmears  his 
forehead  with  it.    Boiling  water  is  poured  upon  tht 
fleeces  so  that  the  wool  may  be  removed  without 
difficulty.    The  bodies  are  hastily  baked,  and  as  the 
darkness  of  the  night  spreads  over  Gerizim  the  Sa- 
maritans, each  with  "his  loin's  girt  and  a  staff  in  his 
hand,"  gather  round  and  eat  hastily  of  the  food 
thus  prepared.    The  scraps  of  meat,  wool  and  bone 
are  carefully  sought  for  and  burned  that  not  a  morsel 
may  remain.    But  perhaps  the  most  impressive  part 
of  all  is  the  splotch  of  blood  which  you  see  over  the 
door  of  each  tent ;  and  when  you  ask  them  what  it 
means  the  reply  will  be:  "It  is  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb !"    A  great  pity  came  upon  my  heart  for  these 
people  who  will  so  soon  be  no  more.     "If  there 
comes  a  time  when  there  is  a  last  man  it  would  be 
in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  his  race  if  he  were  to 
go  up  on  Mount  Gerizim,  and  there  build  an  altar 
unto  the  Lord,  and,  killing  a  sacrifice,  lie  down  to 


THE  WELL 


167 


die,  that  the  flame  of  sacrifice  and  the  flame  of  life 
might  expire  together." 

We  pitched  our  tents  that  night  on  the  vale  be- 
tween Ebal  and  Gerizim,  close  beside  the  city  in 
which  Jesus  spent  "two  days"  preaching  the  gos[K-l 
to  the  fellow  citizens  of  the  woman  who  had  heard 
him  at  the  well.     How  different  might  the  whole 
subsequent  history  of  that  people  have  been  had 
they  but  followed  the  teachings  of  the  Christ !   But 
the  day  of  their  visitation  is  past  and  today  they 
are  without  hope,  waiting  for  the  end.    We  gazed 
upon  the  noble  faces  of  these  people  with  deepest 
interest.    They  are  the  last  of  the  Samaritans.    Next 
morning  before  the  dawn  of  day  we  were  upon  our 
horses  traveling  the  same  road  that  Jesus  must  have 
irod  as  he  went  toward  Galilee.  There  is  no  more 
lovely  vale  in  Palestine  than  this  vale  of  Shechem. 
Our  road  led  us  along  the  banks  of  a  stream  as 
clear  as  crystal,  flowing  westward,  with  here  and 
there  a  quaint  old  mill  for  grinding  grain  half  hid- 
den in  the  luxuria:  t  foliage.    We  heard  the  babbling 
of  the  brook,  the  singing  of  birds  in  the  branches, 
and  the  wierd  strains  of  some  laborer  singing  as  he 
went  to  the  nelds,  and  wondered  not  that  these 
people  think  this  valley  the  most  musical  place  in 
the  world.     But  as  we  rode  along  in  silence  our 
minds  were  filled  with  thoughts  connected  with  the 
scenes  we  just  had  left.    We  saw  Abraham  building 
his  altar,  Jacob  digging  his  well,  the  herdsmen  gath- 
ered there  at  the  evening  hour,  Joseph  being  sold 
into  slavery  only  to  be  brought  back  to  be  buried 


^^^-.-i^:-!^^^ 


168 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


beside  his  father's  well,  Jotham  delivering  his  beau- 
tiful parable  from  the  cliffs,  the  hosts  of  Israel  re- 
hearsing the  blessings  and  the  cursings  of  the  law, 
Joshua  binding  them  with  an  oath  to  the  service  of 
God,  and,  above  all,  Jesus  at  the  well  delivering  his 
marvelous  discourse  upon  the  water  of  life.  We 
waved  a  farewell  to  all  these  scenes  as  we  hastened 
toward  the  city  of  Samaria,  but  they  will  always 
live  fresh  in  our  memories. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  MOUNT  OF  TEMPTATION 

When  our  tents  were  pitched  upon  the  mound 
which  marks  the  ruins  of  ancient  Jericho  we  were 
in  the  lowest  portion  of  the  vale  of  Jordan.  Only 
a  few  miles  before  us  was  the  river  in  which  Jesus 
was  baptized.  Less  than  a  mile  behind  us  its  rugged 
face  marked  by  limestone  precipices  which  rise 
straight  from  the  plain  for  hundreds  of  feet,  and 
its  rocky  sides  sloping  westward  into  the  wilderness 
of  Judea,  was  the  mount  to  which  tradition  has 
pointed  for  centuries  as  the  place  in  which  Jesus 
was  tempted.  Oh,  what  a  howling  wilderness  this 
is !  That  very  day  wc  had  traveled  across  its  bar- 
ren, treeless  hills  and  down  its  gorges  and  ravines, 
of  which  the  very  rocks  were  blistered  with  the 
heat.  This  is  surely  the  "thirsty  ground"  and  "soli- 
tary place"  and  "dry  ground"  of  which  the  prophet 
speaks.  In  this  wilderness  David  hid  from  the  King 
that  sought  his  life.  Hither  fled  Elijah  from  the 
wicked  Jezebel,  and  in  one  of  these  ravines  God  fed 
him  by  the  "blacks."  Travelers  today  sometimes 
see  those  birds  of  darkness,  black  as  night,  sailing 
round  abc  a  these  wild  gorges,  descendants,  perhaps, 
of  the  birds  that  were  commanded  by  the  Lord  to 
feed  the  prophet.    From  this  wilderness  came  forth 

169 


I70  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

John  the  Baptist  preaching  the  gospel  of  repentance. 
And    here    our    Ix>rd     suffered    his    temptatif\ 
"Straightway  the  Spirit  driveth  him  into  the  wildo  • 
ness."    For  hours  you  may  travel  across  these  hills 
and  feel  no  sign  of  life,  except  the  lizards  that  dart 
away  at  your  approach,  the  poisonous  scorpions  and 
vipers,  or  a  few  wild  goats  upon  the  distant  rocks ; 
while  at  night  your  dreams  are  disturbed  by  the 
wailing  of  the  jackal  and  the  hyena's  howl.     Here 
Jesus  was  "alone  with  the  wild  beasts."     Here  in 
this  wilderness,  while  God's  angels  looked  on  in 
wonder,  took  place  that  great  duel  between  him  who 
sought  to  redeem  the  world  and  him  who  sought 
to  damn  it. 

The  conflict  of  a  personal  devil  with  a  personal 
man  was  not  a  new  thought  to  the  Jews.    In  their 
legends  they  had  the  record  of  an  awful  assault 
made  by  Satan  upon  Abraham  when  he  was  about 
to  offer  up  Isaac.     Another  of  their  legends  tells 
how  Satan  sent  forth  a  whole  legion  of  devil  angels 
to  prevent  the  host  of  Israel  from  accepting  the 
laws  of  God.    Still  another  tells  of  the  vain  attempts 
of  Satan  to  carry  away  the  soul  of  Moses.    While 
even  Jude,  you  remember,   speaks  of  the  conflict 
which  Mich;i°l  the  Archangel  had  with  the  devil 
over  the  body  of  Moses.    And  now,  as  Jesus  goes 
forth  alone  into  this  wilderness  Satan  leaves  the 
throne  of  hell  and,  filled  with  all  deadly  guile,  he 
hastens  hither,  also  seeking  to  seduce  the  son  of 
God.  The  Jews  would  find  no  difficulty  in  the  literal 
interprent'on  of  the  temptation  of  Jesus  as  narrated 


THE  MOUNT  OF  TEMPTATION       171 

in  the  gospels.  Possibly,  however,  the  temptation  of 
Jesus  was  stronger  still  if  Satan  appeared  not  in 
visible  form,  but  breathed  his  suggestions  into  the 
mind  and  the  imaginations  of  the  one  whom  he 
sought  to  crush. 

When  Satan  had  succeeded  in  his  temptation  of 
our  first  parents  he  may  have  thought  his  dominion 
of  the  world  secure.     "I  will  revel,"  thought  he,  "in 
sin  and  death."      But  when  he  hi!ard  God's  promise 
to  Eve  that  her  seed  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head 
misgiving  must  have  filled  his  breast.     And  since 
that  day  other  things  had  arisen  vo  inspire  him  with 
alarm.    For  had  not  Enoch  and  Elijah  escaped  his 
power  without  tasting  death?      And  had  not  thou- 
sands of  human  beings  found  heaven  in  spite  of 
him  ?  And  what  meant  these  prophecies,  which  were 
becoming  clearer  and  clearer,  about  the  coming  of 
a  great  Deliverer?    Then  the  flowing  blood  of  the 
Jewish  sacrifices  filled  Satan  with  alarm  he  could 
not  explain.    This  alarm  had  been  heightened  into 
positive  fear  when  he  had  heard  the  angel  Gabriel 
announce  to  Mary  that  she  should  be  the  mother  of 
a  child  called  "Jesus."  "and  of  his  kingdom  there 
shall  be  no  end."    And  that  fear  had  grown  stronger 
and  stronger  when  he  had  heard  the  angels'  song 
over  Bethlehem,   and   witnessed   a   sinless  life   for 
thirty  years  in  Nazareth.     And  when  at  the  bap- 
tism Satan  heard  that  Voice  from  heaven  saying, 
"This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased," 
he  must  have  trembled  with  terror,   for  he  knew 
that  either  Christ  or  himself  must  perish.     Having 


172 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


felt  the  power  of  that  hand  of  God  which  had  hurled 
him  from  the  high  heights  of  heaven,  he  dreaded 
the  power  of  God's  Son.     But  he  determined  to 
stake  all  upon  one  pitched  battle  with  him.    So  be- 
gan the  conflict  between  tne  Son  of  God  and  the 
Prince  of  Darkness. 
The  temptation  of  Jesus  was  three- fold : 
The   first    attack    of    Satan    was    made   in    the 
wilderness.   The  forty  days  were  almost  spent,  and 
in  them  all  Christ  had  not  ta.ted  food.    Both  day 
and  night   had  he  been  wrapt  m   meditation,   in 
prayer,  in  planning  for  his  Kingdom.     Now  came 
the  physical  reaction  from  this  spiritual  exaltation. 
He  finds   himself  faint   with   hunger,   weak   with 
watching,  alone  in  the  wilderness.    Greatly  does  he 
crave  food,  but  as  he  looks  around  only  the  bleak 
hills  and  dark  ravines  meet  his  gaze.     As  he  thus 
wanders  across  the  frightful  solitudes  with  the  hun- 
ger gnawing  at  his  heart,  the  Tempter  makes  his 
Jesus,  "If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that 
Jesus,  "If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that 
these  stones  be  made  bread."    //  thou  be  the  son  of 
God !  The  words  of  the  baptism  at  Jordan  were  still 
ringing  in  Satan's  ears.  He  would  fain  believe  them 
false.     Or  better  still  he  would  make  Jesus  doubt  his 
own  sonship  as  he  had  made  Fat  doubt  God.     And 
so  he  seeks  to  insinuate  a  doubt  into  the  bosom  of 
Jesus.     If  thou  be  the  son  of  God !     I  low  easy  had 
it  been  for  Christ  to  donbt.     Would  God  leave  his 
own  son  foodless,  compaiiionless,  comfortless  for  so 
many  days  ?    Would  h-^  not  send  his  angels  with  foo«l 


'.13^ 


THE  MOUNT  OF  TEMPTATION      173 

to  his  son  when  he  had  sent   his  ravens  to  his 
prophet?     Why  not  test  his  sonship  by  tr\ing  if 
those  stones  which  so  resemble  loaves  ol  bread  as 
they  he  upon  the  hillside  in  the  early  mists  of  morn- 
ing will  actually  become  bread  at  his  command.  Such 
thoughts  would  have  been  easy,  but  to  cherish  them 
would  have  been  to  doubt  his  sonship,  and  Christ 
spurned  them,  as  Paul  shook  the  viper  from  his  hand. 
Turning  to  Satan  he  answered  him  w'th  a  simple 
quotation  from  the  book  of  Deuteronomy:     "It  is 
written,  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by 
every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of 
God."   The  same  God  who  had  provided  Manna  for 
his  children  in  the  wilderness  beyond  the  Jordan, 
could  give  food  to  his  ?nn  upon  this  barren  mountain. 
It  was  not  needful  for  Christ  to  turn  the  stones  to 
bread,  for  a  single  word  from  his  Father's  lips  could 
provide  him  with  better  food.     He  was  about  his 
Father's  business,  and  he  would  trust  himself  to  his 
Father's  care.    So  the  first  temptation  was  met  and 
overcome  by  a  single  thrust  of  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of  God. 

The  Spirit  of  God  had  driven  Jesus  into  the 
wilderness ;  the  spirit  of  the  Devil  now  carried  him 
to  Jerusalem.  "Then  the  devil  taketh  him  up  into  the 
holy  city,  and  setteth  him  upon  the  pinnacle  of  the 
temple,  and  saith  unto  him,  If  thou  be  the  son  o^ 
God  cast  thyself  down."  We  can  see  them  standing 
together,  high  in  that  tower  of  the  temple.  In  the 
court  below  the  morning  sacrifice  has  been  offered. 
Tlie  massive  temple  gates  are  slowly  opening,  and 


174 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


[ill 


the  blast  of  silver  trumpets  is  calling  the  people  to 
prayer.  Let  Christ  now  descend,  heaven-horn,  into 
the  midst  of  priests  and  people.  How  they  would 
welcome  him  as  their  long  looked  for  Messiah ! 
What  shouts  of  acclamation  would  greet  his  appear- 
ance! Why  endure  the  shame  of  the  cross  when 
he  might  thus  easily  establish  his  kingdom?  Satan 
stands  beside  him  and  whispers  in  his  ear:  "Cast 
thyself  down  .  .  .  his  angel?  .  .  .  shall 
bear  thee  up."  Prove  to  the  worhl  at  once  that  thou 
are  indeed  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  world  will  fall 
at  thy  feet  and  worship  thee !  So  Satan  bends  over 
him,  tempting  him,  and  studying  his  face  for  some 
sign  of  yielding  within. 

But  Jesus  turns  toward  him  and  replies,  "It  is 
written  again.  Thou  shall  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
God."  To  trust  was  one  thing,  to  tempt  anotlur. 
Jesus  would  trust  God  for  food,  he  would  not  tempt 
him  by  recklessness.  God's  angels  could  bear  him 
up :  but  God  had  not  bidden  him  cast  himself  down. 
To  do  what  Satan  bade  him  do  would  not  be  to 
show  the  strength  of  his  faith,  but  the  extent  of 
his  presumption.  Thus  again  by  that  sword  of  the 
Si)irit  which  is  the  Woni  of  God  is  the  thrust  of 
the  adversary  turned  aside. 

Once  more  the  scene  changes.  "Again,  the 
devil  taketh  him  up  into  an  exceeding  liigh  mountain, 
and  showeth  him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and 
the  glory  of  them ;  and  saith  unto  him,  All  these 
things  will  I  give  thee  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and 
worship  me."     They  have  turned  their  back  upon 


Hi 


THE  MOUNT  OF  TEMPTATION      175 

Jerusalem  and  the  Temple  and  stand  upon  the  top 
of  some  very  high  mountain.  In  the  full  blaze  of 
sunlight  Jesus  now  gazes  upon  a  wondrous  scene. 
If  the  mountain  that  I  have  described  be  indeed  the 
mountain  upon  which  he  stood,  he  would  behold  to 
the  south  the  blue  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  the 
distant  blue  hills  of  Moab;  to  the  east  the  green 
Jordan  valley  and  the  plains  that  stretch  away  to- 
ward the  Euphrates ;  away  to  the  north,  beyond  the 
Galilee  he  loved  so  well,  he  could  descry  the  snowy 
Lebanon;  wnile  to  the  west  were  the  mountains 
round  about  Jerusalem,  with  Jerusalem  itself,  and 
beyond  was  the  wide  sea  dotted  with  sails.  And  tliis 
Satanic  temptation  was  made  to  unroll  like  a  dissolv- 
ing view  p.ntil  he  saw  the  wealth  and  beauty  of  all 
the  nations  of  the  world.  This  is  the  glittering  bribe 
that  Satan  offers  him.  "All  these  things  will  I  give 
thee,  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me."  They 
shall  be  thine  without  Gethsemane,  without  Calvary, 
without  death ;  simply  bend  thy  knee ! 

But  Satan  knew  not  with  whom  he  had  to  do.  The 
eye  of  Jesus  was  not  dazzled  by  the  magnificent  spec- 
tacle. One  who  had  seen  heaven's  glories  would 
scarcely  be  charmed  by  the  pomp  of  earth.  No 
sooner  was  the  bribe  offered  than  it  was  repelled. 
In  haste,  as  though  his  pure  eyes  could  no  longer 
rest  upon  the  tempting  scene;  in  anger,  too,  that 
Satan  should  dare  to  bid  him  kneel,  Christ  ex- 
claims, "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan ;  for  it  is  writ- 
ten, Thou  sluiit  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him 
only   shah   thou  serve."     Satan    had  wanted  some 


176 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


'^     iiJ 


proof  of  Christ's  divine  power,  and  now  he  has  it  in 
the  command  which  he  must  instantly  obey.     Foiled, 
defeated,  he  spreads  his  dark  pinions  and  flies  away. 
His  hateful  presence  is  withdrawn,  the  conflict  is 
over,  the  victory  is  complete.     Jesus  stands  once 
more  alone  in  the  wilderness,  but  he   is  not  left 
alone.    Angels  come  and  minister  unto  him,  gazing 
with  wonder  on  that  mysterious  Man  who  has  en- 
tered into  solitary  conflict  with  Satan  and  defeated 
him  at  every  point.     He  whom  God  had  anointed 
by  his  Spirit  had  conquered  by  his  Spirit ;  he  whom 
heaven's  voice  had  proclaimed  God's  beloved  son  in 
whom  he  was  well-pleased,  had  proven  himself  such, 
and  had  done  his  good  pleasure.    The  great  contest 
was  over,  and  in  that  contest  we  all  are  victors,  for 
Christ  is  the  Captain  of  our  salvation.     And  in  heav- 
en that  day  I  fancy  the  angels  sa^ig  "Thine  is  the 
kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory  forever  and 
ever.     Amen  1" 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  hundreds  of  men  have 
fled  from  temptation  to  the  very  place  where  our 
Savior  met  his  great  temptation.  When  night  had 
fallen  over  our  camp  at  Jericho  I  went  to  our  tent 
door  and  gazing  up  at  the  great  black  mount  that 
rose  like  the  throne  of  the  Prince  of  Darkness  be- 
hind us,  I  was  astonished  to  see  a  number  of  tiny 
lights  twinkling  in  the  midst  of  the  blackness.  They 
were  the  lights  of  a  strange  monastery  that  clings 
like  a  swallow's  nest  to  the  cliffs.  And  I  am  told 
that  these  ranges  of  cliffs  are  honeycombed  with 
cells,  caverns,  chapels,  sepulchres,  tunnels  and  stair- 


THE  MOUNT  OF  TEMPTATION      177 

cases,  the  work  of  hosts  of  devout  but  deluded  men 
throughout  the  ages.  On  the  following  day  as  our 
horses  trod  a  narrow  pathway  along  the  edge  of  a 
precipice  we  passed  scores  of  these  places,  remind- 
ing us  of  the  cliff  dwellers  of  our  own  land.  There 
was  a  little  doorway  chiseled  in  the  face  of  the  lime- 
stone cliff  and  reached  by  a  ladder.  Before  the  door 
was  a  rude  cross.  Within,  one  might  catch  a  glimpse 
of  a  figure  clad  in  a  robe  of  camel's  hair  who  thought 
he  was  doing  God's  will  by  dwelling  thus  a  hfe- 
time  where  Jesus  dwelt  forty  days.  These  men,  of 
course,  are  Roman  Catholics,  and  many  of  them  are 
said  to  be  highly  educated  in  the  affairs  of  their 
church. 

Many  caves  in  which  men  have  dwelt  in  former 
centuries  are  now  deserted.  They  rise  tier  upon 
tier,  and  the  upper  ones  are  entirely  inaccessible. 
By  the  help  of  ropes,  the  traveler  may  enter  the 
lower  tiers.  There  he  will  find  a  series  of  chambers 
and  chapels,  reservoirs  for  water,  beds  hollowed  from 
solid  rock.  Some  of  the  walls  are  covered  with 
rude  paintings,  or  pictures  in  mosaic.  He  may 
shudder  also  as  he  comes  unexpectedly  upon  a  dark 
cave  in  which  by  the  light  of  his  taper  he  may  see 
hundreds  of  human  bones  and  skulls  covered  with 
the  undisturbed  dust  of  centuries.  This  is  the 
burial-place  of  the  hermits.  Here  their  bones  await 
the  resurrection  morn. 

What  a  singular  life  it  is  these  hermits  live  !  They 
care  absolutely  nothing  for  what  is  transpiring  in 
the  outside  world.     For  months  and  years  together 


178 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


I*  ■  s 


!{ 


they  hear  nothing  of  what  the  world  is  doing,  ex- 
cept what  may  be  brought  to  their  unwilling  ears  by 
some  traveling  pilgrim.    When  you  pass  by  their 
dwellings  they  turn  their  backs  upon  you  as  though 
it  were  a  sin  to  even  look  upon  a  worldling.  To  the 
hermit  the  whole  world  is  no  wider  than  his  own 
narrow  cell,  and  life  means  naught  but  prayer,  pen- 
ance, pain.     But  think  you  that  they  thus  escape 
temptation?    Think   you    that   the   Tempter    who 
walked  those  hills  of  old  is  not  there  today?    Think 
you  that  he  who  found  the  Savior  in  the  wilderness 
finds  not  those  hermits  in  their  cells?     Let  them 
bury  themselves  if  they  will;  but  Satan  will  find 
them  in  their  living  graves  as  truly  as  he  finds  us  in 
the  sinful  world.     Never  can  they  escape  till  they 
cut  the  heart  from  tlieir  body  and  cast  it  from  them, 
for  "the  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things  and 
desperately  wicked."    But  I  would  not  judge  them 
harshly.     Many  of  them  are  undoubtedly   sincere 
and  deeply  earnest  in  their  efforts  to  win  their  way 

to  heaven. 

It  was  early  morning  when  we  left  our  camp  at 
Jericho  and,  gazing  back  for  a  last  look  at  that 
mount,  I  saw  a  golden  cross  shining  like  the  sun 
amid  the  cliffs  of  chalk.     It  was  the  cross  of  the 

monastery. 

Yes,  thank  God,  there  is  no  mount  of  Temptation 
so  terrific  and  dark  but  the  cross  of  Christ  shines 
through  its  blackness,  giving  assurance  to  the  Chris- 


It  ' 


THE  MOUNT  OF  TEMPTATION      179 

tian's  heart.    "He  will  not  suffer  us  to  be  tempted 
above  that  we  are  able  to  bear." 

"In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory, 
Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time ; 

All  the  light  of  sacred  story, 

Gathers  round  his  head  sublime." 


n  ^msM 


■J 


\ii 


CHAPTER  XVI 
AN  ILLUSTRATED  BIBLE 
As  one  spends  day  after  day  in  the  Holy  Land, 
he  feels  that  a  great,  illustrated  edition  of  the 
Bible  has  been  opened  before  him.  Every  passing 
hour  turns  over  the  pages  of  this  divine  book, 
which  has  been  written  upon  the  rocks,  and  illus- 
trated, not  with  wood-cuts  and  steel-engravings, 
but  in  flesh  and  blood,  in  mountains  and  valleys,  in 
deathless  customs,  and  flowers  that  bloom  today  as 
they  did  when  Jesus  plucked  them  on  the  hillsides 
of  Nazareth. 

It  was  an  intensely  hot  day  when  we  rode  to- 
ward Jerusalem  from  Jericho.     As  we  entered  the 
"\'alley  of  the  Sun"  the  heat  seemed  almost  un- 
bearable.    Not  a  breath  of  wind  was  stirring.    Our 
horses  were  foaming  with  sweat.    We  recalled  the 
promise :    "The  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day," 
but  feared  lest  we  should  fall  from  our  saddles. 
Here  it  was  that  we  saw  one  of  the  pictures  of  the 
Word.    The  sun  had  not  quite  reached  the  noon- 
day meridian,  so  that  there  was  a  little  shade  under 
the  western  side  of  the  hills.    Cowering  under  the 
shadow  of  a  great  rock,  close  up  against  the  cliff, 
there  lay  a  Bedouin,  prone  upon  the  ground,  while 
near  by.  in  the  same  shadow,  was  his  flock,  prefer- 

180 


THE   WELL 


i8i 


ring  shelter  rather  than  food.  This  was  the  only 
spot  in  all  that  weary  land  where  such  shelter  could 
be  found,  for  upon  those  hillsides  there  are  neither 
trees  nor  shrubs.  Was  it  not  an  illustration  of  that 
text:  "A  man  (Christ)  shall  be  *  *  *  as  the 
shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land"? 

In  Exodus  is  recorded  the  command :  "Thou  shalt 
not  seethe  a  kid  in  his  mother's  milk."  The  Jews 
are  still  so  punctilious  regarding  the  letter  of  the 
law  that  they  will  not  cook  in  a  dish  in  which  milk 
has  stood,  until  it  has  been  not  merely  washed,  but 
scoured  and  purified.  Yet  a  national  dish  among 
the  Bedouins  and  Syrians  of  Palestine  is  kid  seethed 
in  sour  milk.  As  a  great  novelty,  this  unique  dish 
was  served  in  our  tent  one  day.  We  did  not  enjoy 
it,  perhaps,  but  a  Jew  would  have  abhorred  it,  as 
have  his  ancestors  from  the  time  of  Moses  till  the 
present  time. 

Another  ancient  custom  perpetuated  by  the  Jews 
of  Palestine  is  the  wearing  of  phylacteries.  The 
command  was:  "Remember  this  day,  in  which  ye 
came  out  from  E,i,\vpt ;  out  of  the  house  of  bondage 
*  *  *  and  it  shall  be  for  a  token  upon  thine  hand, 
and  for  frontlets  between  thine  eyes"  (Ex.  13:3, 
16).  But  the  spirit  of  this  command  was  obliter- 
ated in  a  meaningless  form,  until,  in  his  awful  de- 
nunciations against  the  Pharisees,  Christ  brings  this 
against  them  that  "they  make  broad  their  phy^acter- 
ies"  to  be  seen  of  men.  I  bought  t\\x>  phylacteries 
in  Jerusalem.  They  are  little  black  boxes  about  two 
inches  square,  containing  the  ten  commandments  in 


MICROCOPY   RESOLUTION   TEST   CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


1.25 


1.4 


25 
2.2 

2.0 


1.8 


1.6 


^  APPLIED  IM^GE    I 

^S*.  '653   East    Mam    Street 

S-.^  Rochester,    Ne»    York         1«609       USA 

-.aa  (716)    482  ^  0300  -  Phone 

^S  ("6)   288  -  5989  -  Fax 


l82 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


it    t 


Hebrew,  and  a  few  hairs  from  the  beard  of  the 
writers  of  the  Talmud.  By  straps  of  leather  at  least 
two  yards  long  these  boxes  are  bound  upon  the  fore- 
head and  the  arm  at  the  time  of  morning  prayer,  each 
turn  of  the  strap  being  accompanied  by  a  certain 
form  of  prayer.  Thus  the  straps  are  twisted  thrice 
around  the  arm,  thrice  around  the  wrist,  thrice 
around  the  great  finger.  Well  did  the  disciples, 
realizing  the  folly  of  such  empty  forms,  cry  out, 
"Lord,  teach  us  to  pray !" 

The  "money-changers"  are  often  spoken  of  in 
the  Scriptures.     In  America,  where  the  same  coins 
are  used  by  seventy  millions  of  people,  we  have  lit- 
tle need  of  such  men,  but  in  tins  land,  where  the 
coins  of  a  dozen  countries  are  mixed  together,  and 
where  values  vary  even  in  different  parts  of  the 
same  city,  the  money-changer  is  in  great  demand. 
His  little  wire-covered  table,  heaped  with  piles  of 
coin,  is  seen  at  almost  every  corner,  and  here  the 
helpless  pilgrim  can  get  his  American  dollars  or 
English    pounds    changed    into    Spanish    francs, 
French  napoleons,  Egyptian  piasters,  Arabic  me- 
tallics  or  any  other  money,  upon  paying  a  liberal 
percentage.    In  the  bazaars  and  along  the  streets  of 
these  cities  the  modern  representatives  of  the  an- 
cient "scribe"  may  also  be  found.    He    has    lost 
much  of  his  dignity  and  importance,  for  he  is  now 
merely  a  good  penman,  whose  services  may  be  se- 
cured in  transactions  of  business,  war  or  love,  upon 
payment  of  a  few  piasters. 

I  had  often  wondered  what  the  Scripture  meant 


i' 


AN  ILLUSTRATED  BIBLE; 


183 


by  the  grass  which  is  "cast  into  the  oven."  Upon 
the  site  of  ancient  Chorazin  this  verse  found  its  il- 
Uistration.  A  Syrian  woman  was  baking  bread. 
The  oven  consisted  of  an  inverted  pan  of  sheet-iron, 
set  upon  stones.  Wood  being  very  rare  in  this  land, 
into  this  oven  she  cast  dried  grass  and  the  stalks  of 
weeds  until  the  pan  was  sufficiently  heated  to  bake 
the  bread,  which  she  had  skilfully  made  very  thin 
and  spread  upon  the  top.  So  the  grass  which  had 
grown  up  and  flourished,  had  withered  and  been  cut 
down,  and  was  "cast  into  the  oven."  Another  pas- 
sage that  had  been  obscure  was  that  in  which  David 
prays  that  God's  enemies  may  "be  as  the  grass  upon 
the  housetops,  which  withereth  afore  it  groweth  up." 
But  when  we  saw  the  villages  of  the  plain  of  Sharon 
the  allusion  was  at  once  explained.  The  houses  are 
walled  up  with  stone,  and  roofed  over  with  wood, 
upon  which  is  placed  a  covering  of  mud.  Wooed 
by  the  rains  of  early  spring,  a  thousand  seeds  shoot 
up  from  this  soil,  till  the  housetops  are  as  verdant 
as  the  meadows  themselves,  giving  the  village  a 
most  picturesque  appearance.  But  as  soon  as  the 
spring  showers  cease,  and  the  summer  sun  pours 
down  his  scorching  rays,  this  "grass  upon  the 
housetops"  withers  and  dies,  because  it  has  no  depth 
of  soil.  So  shall  it  be  with  God's  enemies,  though 
they  may  flourish  for  a  time. 

Many  times  I  have  wondered  how  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  were  entertained  as  they  went  "through 
all  the  cities  and  villages,"  preaching  the  gospel. 
While  at  Bethany,  "Solomon,"  our  dragoman,  took 


min^-mi^mmujm^ 


184 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


us  to  a  house  called  the  "guest-chamber."    It  was 
a  small  stone  building  of  two  vaulted  rooms,  the 
walls  much  blackened  with  smoke,  the  floor  spread 
with  grass  mats,  but  it  was  free  to  all  who  came 
to  the  village.    There  they  would  find  both  shelter 
and  food  provided  by  the  villagers  in  turn,  "without 
money  and  without  price."    A  number  of  us  were 
afterwards   actually  entertained   in   such  a  guest- 
chamber  in  another  village.     No  sooner  were  we 
seated  upon  the  mats  than  some  of  the  chief  men  of 
the  village  entered  and   saluted   us.     Coffee   was 
cooked  upon  an  iron  pan,  pounded  in  a  n  ortar,  and 
served  in  tiny  cups,  which  were  passed  first  to  the 
greybeards  of  the  company,  then  to  the  young  m  n, 
and  last  of  all  to  the  ladies!     Leaf  tobacco  was 
brought  and  cut  fine ;  then  a  pipeful,  lighted  with  a 
coal,  was  passed  around.    They  also  offered  to  kill  a 
lamb  and  provide  for  us  a  feast.    Solomon  told  us 
that  when  the  musical  rat-tat-tat  of  the  coffee  mor- 
tar is  heard  the  people  of  the  village  gather  to  honor 
their  guests.     In  such  a  place  as  this  it  was,  he 
declared,  that  Jesus  and  his  disciples  were  first  en- 
tertained at  Bethany.    The  villagers  gathered,  and 
Lazarus,  being  pleased  with  Jesus,  invited  him  to 
his    home, — a    very    common    occurrence.      Thus 
sprang  up  their  life-long  friendship.     Such  guest- 
chambers  are  found  in  every  village  of  Palestine 
today.    Similar  ones  were  here  in  Christ's  time,  and, 
no  doubt,  he  who  had  no  place  whereon  to  lay  his 
head  often  found  rest  in  these  hospitable  buildings. 
"As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water  brooks,  so 


AN  ILLUSTRATED  BIBLE 


185 


panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  O  God."  We  had  been 
traveling  northward  from  Jerusalem  a  whole  day, 
over  hills  so  indescribably  rocky,  and  along  roads 
so  unutterably  bad,  that  both  horses  and  riders  were 
jaded.  In  many  places  the  stone  walls  themselves 
were  less  rocky  than  the  roads,  so  that  our  horses 
chose  them  rather  than  the  highway.  The  sun  had 
been  pouring  down  upon  us,  but  Hebron  was  the 
only  place  where  water  could  be  secured.  Where 
brooks  should  be,  were  nothing  but  beds  of  rocks. 
Picking  our  way  thus  among  the  unnumbered  hills, 
we  saw  a  sight  which  threw  a  flood  of  light  upon 
this  text.  Away  up  on  the  mountain  side,  bounding 
over  the  rocks,  were  three  harts,  fleeing  for  their 
lives  from  the  hunter  that  pursued.  How  they  fled 
down  that  steep  slope,  across  the  valley,  and  up  the 
other  side !  In  a  few  moments  I  heard  the  baying 
of  dogs,  perhaps  upon  their  trail.  As  those  harts 
flew  for  their  lives  along  the  barren  wastes,  panting 
with  thirst,  how  they  must  have  longed  for  the 
water  brooks'  yet  longed  in  vain,  for  the  brooks 
themselves  were  dry. 

We  were  passing  through  one  of  the  streets  of 
Hebron.  So  narrow  was  it  that  two  men  could 
clasp  their  nearest  hands  and  touch  both  sides  of 
the  street  with  the  others ;  so  dirty  that  the  uneven 
pavement  was  slippery  with  filth ;  so  dark  that  one 
could  but  dimly  see  the  merchants  in  the  open  door- 
ways of  their  little  stores.  Yet  here  I  saw  a  cus- 
tom which  was  the  occasion  of  one  of  Christ's  illus- 
trations.    A  grain  merchant,  sitting  on  the  pave- 


■H^i^g^i^^^tiv^y"^/ 


i86 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


ment,  with  his  s^cods  spread  on  a  blanket  before 
him,  filled  a  measure  with  wheat  and  passed  it  to 
his  customer,  who  pressed  it  down  with  his  hands, 
shook  it  together,  and  heaped  handful  after  handful 
upon  it,  till  it  was  running  over  and  would  hold  not 
another  grain.  Then  he  raised  his  robe  in  his  arms, 
as  a  woman  might  raise  her  apron,  while  the  mer- 
chant lifted  the  measure  and  poured  the  wheat  into 
his  customer's  bosom,  sending  him  off  satisfied. 
This  incident,  which  is  a  daily  occurrence  in  this 
country,  was  a  pictured  sermon  upon  the  text: 
"Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you ;  good  meas- 
ure, pressed  down,  and  shaken  together,  and  run- 
ning over,  shall  men  give  into  your  bosom." 

While  coming  into  Jerusalem  from  Bethel  we 
were  forcibly  reminded  of  the  curse  recorded  by 
Isaiah,  wherein  he  declares:  "There  shall  the  vul- 
tures also  be  gathered,  every  one  with  his  mate." 
Under  the  hillside  is  a  slaughter-house,  over  which 
scores  of  vultures  were  soaring,  while  below  many 
were  gathered  together  around  their  awful  meal. 
Just  so  would  these  birds  of  carrion  gather  around 
the  wounded  lamb,  or  hover  above  the  battlefield 
stained  with  gore. 

One  of  the  passages  of  Scripture  that  appeals 
to  us  in  earliest  childhood  is  the  story  of  Elijah's 
hiding  by  the  brook  Cherith  and  being  fed  by  the 
ravens.  My  introduction  to  this  brook,  now  a 
foaming  stream,  was  more  informal  than  pleasing. 
After  leaving  the  Dead  Sea  I  galloped  ahead  of 
our   party   and   attempted   to   ford    Cherith    near 


:|  .111 


AN  ILLUSTRATED  BIBLE 


187 


the  place  where  it  enters  the  Jordan,  but  as  my 
horse  stepped  down  the  steep  embankment,  the 
saddle  slipped  over  his  head,  and  the  rider  damp- 
ened his  ardor  in  the  stream !  The  next  day,  how- 
ever, we  followed  this  brook  upward  to  the  tradi- 
tional place  of  Elijah's  cave.  The  stream  rushes 
through  a  deep  gorge,  hundreds  of  feet  high,  along 
which  the  bridle  path  runs  midway  between  heaven 
and  earth,  looking  like  a  white  thread  against  the 
edge  of  the  precipice.  So  narrow  was  the  path  that 
a  single  misstep  would  have  brought  certain  death, 
and  in  many  places  we  had  to  walk  and  lead  our 
horses.  So  we  traveled  for  a  couple  of  hours  amid 
some  of  the  grandest  scenery  of  Palestine.  Away 
below  us,  flowing  between  waving  bamboo  bushes, 
was  the  silvery  stream  of  Cherith ;  all  around  us 
and  above  were  the  limestone  cliffs;  above  them 
again  the  blue  sky.  Here  and  there  along  the  cliffs 
were  the  caves  of  hermits  with  a  rude  cross  before 
the  door.  Now  Eli 'ah 's  cave  is  a  monastery  built 
like  a  bird's  nest  upon  a  ledge  of  rock.  Hundreds 
of  men  have  spent  their  lives  in  this  gorge,  falsely 
thinking  that  thus  they  were  honoring  God.  Solo- 
mon told  us  of  one  who  ate  nothing  but  raven's 
flesh  until  he  died.  Elijah  sojourned  here  at  the 
command  of  God  and  then  went  forth  to  contend 
for  God.  With  him  the  brook  Cherith  was  but 
the  preface  to  the  conflict  of  Carmel.  So  into  every 
Christian  life  should  come  times  of  solitary  medita- 
tion and  times  of  public  service.  God  give  us  more 
Elijahs, — men  of  prayer  and  men  of  power ! 


i88 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


The  Bible  is  filled  with  pictures  of  shepherd  life. 
David   described   what  was   ever  before  his   eyes 
when  he  wrote  of  "the  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills." 
Palestine  is  the  hilliest  country  in  all  the  earth,  and 
there  is  scarce  a  hillside  where  you  may  not  see  the 
white  fleeces  of  the  sheqj,  or  the  black-haired  goats, 
as  they  nibble  among  the  rocks,  while  their  shepherd 
watches  near  at  hand.    His  "staff"  is  a  slender  stick, 
which  not  only  aids  him  in  climbing,  but  is  conveni- 
ent in  guiding  and  counting  the  sheep.    His  "rod" 
is  a  sturdy  club  of  oak,  its  knob  often  studded  with 
nails  of  brass,  a  weapon  that  may  well  cause  every 
foe  of  the  flock  to  tremble.    The  shepherd  watches 
over  his  flock  continually,  and  the  good  shepherd 
will  literally  "lay  down  his  life  for  the  sheep"  in 
defending  them  from  man  or  beast.     The  "sheep- 
fold"  adjoins  the  shepherd's  house.     It  consists  of 
a  high  stone  wall,  crowned  with  bundles  of  thorns. 
"The  door,"  there  is  never  more  than  one,  is  a  low 
door  of  woo-^.    "He  that  entereth  not  by  the  door 
into  the  sheepfold,  but  climbeth  up  some  other  way, 
the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber ;  but  he  that  entereth 
in  by  the  door  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep."  Within 
the   fold  the   sheep  are   secure.     They  need   fear 
neither  the  wandering  Bedouin  nor  the  jackals  and 
wolves,  which  howled  every  night  around  our  tent. 
The  thief  and  robber  are  no  myth  even  today,  as  we 
discovered  to  our  sorrow,  after  a  gold  watch  and 
valuable  hand   satchel  had  been  stolen   from  our 
tent.    At  Sinjil  we  saw  a  shepherd  open  the  door 
of  his  fold,  call  his  sheep  out  singly  by  name,  and 


AN  ILLUSTRATED  BIBLE 


189 


lead  them  forth  into  the  green  pastures.  They 
followed  him,  for  they  knew  his  voice;  but  when 
we  called  them  they  would  not  follow,  "for  they 
know  not  the  voice  of  strangers."  One  day  we  saw 
a  shepherd  with  a  tiny  lamb,  too  weak  to  walk, 
nestling  in  his  bosom,  beneath  his  robe.  Isaiah 
must  often  have  seen  the  same,  for  he  wiote:  "He 
shall  lead  his  flock  like  a  shepherd ;  he  shall  gather 
the  lambs  with  his  arm  and  carry  them  in  his 
bosom." 

Christ  spoke  against  those  who  "bind  heavy  bur- 
dens and  grievous  to  be  borne,  and  lay  them  on 
men's  shoulders."    One  sees  much  burden  bearing 
in  Palestine  today.    Women  are  seen  coming  from 
the  mountains  tottering  beneath  great  bundles  of 
sticks  for  fuel,  or  from  the  fields  bearing  great  bags 
of  grass  for  camels  and  donkeys,  or  from  the  moun- 
tains with  large  jars  of  water  upon  their  heads,  or 
going  to  the  fields  with  both  plow  and  yoke  upon 
their  shoulders.    Men  are  met  continually  upon  the 
city  streets,  bowed  almost  to  the  earth  by  crushing 
burdens  upon  their  back,  held  in  place  by  straps 
around   the   forehead.     What   wonder   that   these 
"common  people"  welcomed  Him  who  bade  them 
"come  to  him  and  rest,  for  his  yoke  was  easy,  and 
his  burden  light."    After  we  had  ridden  our  horses 
ten  hours  one  day,  over  roads  so  rocky  and  hills  so 
steep  that  we  escaped  serious  accident  as  though  by 
miracle,  we  understood,  as  never  before,  the  feelings 
of  that  other  traveler,  who,  having  trodden  these 
same  roads,  was  "wearied  with  his  journey" ;  and 


190 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


after  we  had  gone  through  the  land  from  south  to 
north,  at  times  so  fatigued  that  hours  seemed  like 
days,  we  remembered  that  Jesus  had  walked  these 
stony  ways  as  he  went  through  all  the  cities  and 
villages,  and  were  deeply  moved  by  the  thought  of 
the  daily  hardships  of  his  life. 

Thrice  does  David  speak  of  God  as  his  "high 
tower."  The  same  expression  is  used  many  times. 
Jesus  tells  of  the  householder  "which  planted  a  vine- 
yard *  *  *  and  built  a  iower."  Isaiah  sings : 
"My  well-beloved  hath  a  vineyard  in  a  very  fruit- 
ful hill;  and  he  fenced  it,  and  gathered  out  the 
stones  thereof,  and  planted  it  with  the  choicest 
wines,  and  built  a  tower  in  the  midst  of  it."  Dur- 
ing our  drive  to  Hebron  we  saw  the  same  thing  a 
hundred  times  over.  Many  hills  are  terraced  to 
the  top  and  planted  with  vines.  The  largest  stones 
have  been  gathered  out  and  built  into  the  walls,  or 
into  the  round  stone  tower  which  graces  every  vine- 
yard. Sometimes  a  dozen  of  these  strong  towers 
could  be  seen  at  once.  During  the  season  of  grapes 
the  tower  is  constantly  occupied  by  those  who  guard 
the  vineyard  from  thieves.  In  time  of  war  these 
stony  walls  also  prove  a  sure  defense,  "a  strong 
tower  from  the  enemy." 

"But  stow  my  tears  into  thy  bottle,"  prayed  the 
psalmist.  It  was  customary  among  the  ancient 
Hebrews,  as  among  the  Phoenicians  and  Egyptians, 
for  mourners  to  gather  some  of  their  tears  into  a 
bottle  and  put  them  into  the  tomb  of  the  dead.  Hun- 
dreds of  these   "tear-bottles"  have   recently  been 


AN  ILLUSTRATED  BIBLE 


191 


found  in  the  tombs  near  Nazareth.  The  American 
College,  at  Beyrout,  has  a  large  collection  of  them. 
They  are  small,  shapely  vials,  made  of  a  delicate  iri- 
descent glass  no  longer  manufactured,  because  its 
secret  is  forgotten.  If  not  a  sparrow  falleth  without 
our  Father's  notice,  surely  the  tears  of  his  children 
are  not  unnumbered. 

When  Lazarus  died,  "many  of  the  Jews  came 
to  Martha  and  Mary,  to  comfort  them  concerning 
their  brother.  *  *  *  When  they  saw  Mary, 
that  she  rose  up  hastily  and  went  out,  they  followed 
her,  saying.  She  goeth  unto  the  grai-e  to  weep 
there."  These  customs  still  abide  in  Palestine.  In 
case  of  death  women  gather  from  all  the  surround- 
ing villages  to  weep  with  the  bereaved.  Near 
Bethel  we  met  a  funeral  procession.  The  widow, 
closely  veiled,  was  seated  upon  a  camel,  and  fol- 
lowed by  several  other  women  who  wailed  aloud 
as  they  walked.  Down  at  Hebron  circles  of  white- 
clad  women  were  gathered  around  two  graves  in 
the  Moslem  cemetery.  They  had  gone  "unto  the 
grave  to  weep  there."  In  many  cases  the  friends 
of  the  dead  gathered  there  every  week  for  several 
years.  The  great  apostle  had  this  custom  in  his 
thought,  perhaps,  when  he  bade  his  followers  to 
"sorrow  not,  even  as  others  which  have  no  hope. 
For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again, 
even  so  them  also  which  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God 
bring  with  him." 

Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land 
one  sees  that  every  hillside  and  valley  is  divided  into 


1^2 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


"parcels  of  ground"  by  straight  lines,  which  are 
marked  at  intervals  by  two  or  three  stones,  piled  one 
upon  another.  These  are  the  "land-marks,"  which 
separated  one  man's  land  from  that  of  his  neighbor. 
The  law  pronounced  a  curse  upon  him  who  sl-.ould 
move  these  land-marks.  One  can  readily  see  how 
easily  this  could  be  done,  and  how  strong  the  temp- 
tation, especially  at  the  time  of  plowing.  These 
parcels  of  land  are  allotted  to  the  men  of  the  village 
by  the  village  sheik  each  year.  At  harvest  time  the 
wheat  is  taken  to  the  village  threshing  floor,  merely 
a  level  piece  of  ground,  and  there  threshed  by  being 
trodden  upon  by  oxen,  just  as  in  the  time  of  Boaz  or 
Abraham.  Before  the  threshing  is  done,  however, 
each  farmer  must  divide  his  crops  into  ten  equal 
heaps,  and  allow  the  tax  collector  to  take  his  choice 
for  the  expenses  of  the  government.  In  ancient 
times  the  tenth  was  paid  to  God;  now  it  goes  to 
"his  majesty,  the  Sultan." 

"Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthing?" 
As  we  were  leaving  Jericho,  a  lad  came  running 
after  us  with  two  picked  sparrows,  crying  "Bach- 
sheesh!  bachsheesh!"     This  meant  that  he  would 
sell  them  for  the  smallest  coins  we  had. 

One  needs  to  stand  upon  the  Mount  of  Beati- 
tudes to  get  the  local  coloring  of  the  great  Sermon. 
We  lay  upon  the  grass  as  we  read  those  beautiful 
words  again:  "Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field." 
Here  they  are  all  about  us.  A  score  of  different 
flowers  raise  their  heads  as  though  to  claim  the 
honor  of  that  title.    And  well  they  may,  for  it  prob- 


AN  ILLUSTRATED  BIBLE 


193 


ably  applies  to  them  all.  "A  city  that  is  set  on  an 
hill  cannot  be  hid."  Tradition  says  that  when  Christ 
uttered  these  words  he  pointed  to  the  distant  city  of 
Safed.  There  it  is  on  yonder  mountain  peak.  We 
had  seen  it  before  from  the  hill  of  Nazareth.  We 
saw  it  afterward  from  the  lake  of  Galilee  and  the 
slopes  of  Ilermon.  It  is  the  most  conspicuous  city 
in  all  that  land.  How,  indeed,  could  such  a  place 
be  hid?  Neither  can  the  true  Christian  hide  his 
faith. 


.i«i^J^l^^^i.\^^-r^'M^i^H^t^^^' 


w 


n    I 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  PEOPLES  OF  PALESTINE  TODAY 

Like  their  fathers  of  olden  time,  the  people  of  Pal- 
estine today  are  "a  peculiar  people."  In  their  life 
one  sees  the  reflection  of  the  pictures  of  the  Bible. 
Their  customs  and  costumes  are  as  changeless  as 
the  everlasting  hills.  The  land  become?  thus  the 
best  commentary  on  the  Book.  Almost  everything 
there  is  different  from  our  life  here.  Their  life  pre- 
sents continual  contrasts  to  ours.  They  do  almost 
everything  exactly  the  opposite  way  that  we  do  it. 
Let  me  bring  before  you  some  of  these  -  ntrasts 
and  -strange  customs,  believing  that  when  once  you 
understand  them  many  an  obscure  passage  of  God's 
Word  will  be  illuminated  to  your  understanding. 

We  shave  the  face  and  let  the  hair  grow  on 
the  head,  but  they  allow  the  hair  to  grow  on  the  face 
and  shave  the  head.  The  Mohammedans  leave  just 
one  long  lock  of  hair  on  the  top  of  the  head,  by 
which  they  believe  that  they  will  be  raised  by  the 
angels  into  a  sitting  posture  on  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, and  if  accounted  righteous,  borne  by  the  an- 
gel Gabriel  to  Paradise.  This  custom  of  shavmg 
the  head  has  been  perpetuated  from  Bible  times,  and 
we  readily  recall  many  references  in  the  Scriptures 
to  "the  sha.en  head."    Only  those  who  were  under 

194 


^.^mu^^^mmjm::')^. 


THE  PEOPLES  OF  PALESTINE       195 

the  vows  of  the  Nazarites  allowed  their  hair  to  grow. 
John  the  Baptist  was  one  of  these.  But  those  artists 
who  have  pictured  our  Lord  with  long  hair  have 
missed  the  mark. 

One  of  the  first  things  that  impresses  the  trav- 
eler is  the  strange  dress  of  the  Orient.  We  wear 
snug,  close-fitting  clothes,  whilst  they — men,  women 
and  children — wear  garments  very  loose,  flowing 
and  long.  We,  too,  have  frequently  changing  fash- 
ions, but  they  from  age  to  age  have  made  no  change 
in  dress.  What  will  the  women  say  whc;.  I  tell 
them  that  the  village  people  of  Palestine,  in  the 
material,  color  and  style  of  their  clothing  dress  ex- 
actly as  did  their  great-great-great-great-grand- 
mothers !  Thus  each  woman  looks  a  perfect  coun- 
terpart of  all  her  neighbors,  and  of  every  woman 
for  ages  who  had  lived  there  before  her !  They  be- 
lieve it  morally  wrong  to  alter  anything  ancient. 
For  a  woman  among  them  to  appear  in  modern  dress 
would  produce  as  great  a  sensation  as  for  a  woman 
among  us  to  appear  in  the  dress  of  the  days  of 
Queen  Anne.  They  dare  not  change.  Thus  the  life 
that  we  now  see  in  the  Holy  Land  is  a  living  exhibi- 
tion of  the  life  of  the  Bible,  a  speaking  commentary 
on  its  every  page.  For  if  female  dress  has  re- 
mained unchanged  it  is  easy  to  believe  that  every- 
thing else  has  also  been  changeless.  Those  men 
with  their  turbaned  heads,  their  long  robes,  their 
camel's  hair  garment,  and  the  sandaled  feet  are 
the  modern  representatives  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob.     Those  women  witli  their  shawl-clad  heads. 


m^^ 


196 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


;■ 


their  black-veiled  faces,  so  carefully  covering  the 
mouth  with  the  end  of  a  veil  when  meeting  a  man, 
are  the  modern  Rachels,  Rebeccas  and  Ruths. 

Here  in  these  damp,  cold  climates  we  work 
with  our  naked  hands  while  the  feet  are  carefully 
covered;  but  in  the  warm,  dry  Syria  the  feet  are 
much  uncovered  and  come  to  be  used  in  many  kinds 
of  work  almost  as  much  as  the  hands.  I  have  seen 
the  Syrian  carpenter  holding  his  wood  with  his 
toes,  where  a  carpenter  with  us  would  hold  it  with 
his  fingers  or  in  a  vice.  In  the  same  way  the  gard- 
ener will  use  his  naked  feet  in  irrigating  his  fields, 
with  them  opening  passages  for  the  water  and  clos- 
ing them  up  again  when  the  field  is  sufficiently  wa- 
tered. So  it  has  been  from  time  immemorial.  Thus 
in  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  we  read  "thou  sowest 
thy  seed,  and  waterest  it  with  thy  foot";  and  thus 
it  was  perhaps  that  Adam  did  in  Eden,  setting  a  cus- 
tom that  has  ever  since  been  followed.  And  the 
second  Adam,  the  carpenter  of  Nazareth,  making 
ox-yokes,  wall-pegs,  manger-troughs,  ploughs,  and 
rude,  red  cradles,  must  have  worked  with  his  naked 
feet,  as  do  the  people  of  Palestine  today. 

The  people  of  Palestine  are  extremely  super- 
stitious. One  scarcely  can  understand  the  meaning 
of  r.ie  Apostle's  rebuke,  "refuse  the  profane  and 
old  wives'  fables"  until  he  beholds  the  slavery  of  the 
people,  especially  the  women,  to  believe  in  sorcery 
and  witchery.  So  firmly  do  they  believe  in  the 
"evil  eve"  that  many  will  not  allow  a  stranger  to 
look  into  their  faces  lest  with  his  fixed  glance  he 


m^^^t^:^ 


gSSmM 


THE  PEOPLES  OF  PALESTINE       197 

should  bring  some  curse  or  even  death  upon  them. 
A  1j right  little  Syrian  about  twelve  years  old  ac- 
companied our  caravan  from  Jerusalem  to  Damas- 
cus, and  during  all  that  time  he  never  saw  one  of  us 
looking  at  him  intently  without  hiding  his  face  in 
his  hands  lest  we  should  bewitch  him.    Blue  eyes 
are  considered  especially  dangerous  as  liable  to  cast 
a  blight  upon  man  or  beast  or  even  to  produce  death. 
One  of  mv  friends  noticed  that  her  dragoman  had 
carefully  fastened  a  large,  blue  bead  into  the  horse's 
mane,  and  it  was  some  time  before  she  learned  that 
it  was  a  charm  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  botii 
horse  and  rider  by  the  evil  eye.     Mothers  in  our 
country  like  to  have  their  children  admired  but  in 
Palestine  even  wealthy  mothers,  sometimes  will  leave 
their  children  in  rags  and  filth  to  prevent  people 
from  admiring  them  with  the  evil  eye.     In  many 
places  it  is  difficult  to  get  pictures  of  the  people  for 
they  consider  that  of  all  eyes  the  kodak  must  be 
the  most  evil. 

They  believe  also  tod^y,  as  they  did  in  the  days 
of  Jesus,  that  some  people  are  possessed  with  dev- 
ils, and  they  have  many  ways  of  driving  out  the 
evil  spirits. '  All  night  long  they  keep  a  tiny  lamp 
burning  in  their  houses  to  drive  away  the  evil  spir- 
its, and  they  would  not  dare  to  lie  down  in  dark- 
ness. They  have  still  their  books  of  magic  and 
divination  such  as  were  burned  in  Ephesus  after 
the  great  revival  that  followed  upon  the  preaoliing 
of  Paul.  Even  the  members  of  the  Greek  and  Latin 
churches  believe  in  charms,  relics  and  texts  worn 


fQiii^^iJiiM 


kif* 


198 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


*: 


about  the  person  to  ward  off  evil  spirits.  Upon  the 
slopes  of  Hermon  I  found  a  little  girl  wearing  a 
bone  from  a  wolf's  throat  aror-d  her  neck  as  a 
charm.  Thus  they  wear  a  shari  's  tooth,  a  bored 
pebble,  a  verse  from  the  Koran,  a  filthy  rag  from 
the  robe  of  some  holy  man,  a  bit  of  the  wood  of 
the  cross,  or  a  relic  of  some  saint.  A  large  part  of 
the  revenue  of  the  Mohammedan,  Gree''  and  Roman 
Catholic  churches  in  these  countries  corses  from  the 
sale  of  these  charms  to  the  people,  thus  fostering 
this  base  superstition. 

These  strange,  wierd  superstitions,  beliefs  and 
practices  throw  much  light  upon  the  superstitions  of 
the  Bible.  We  recall  the  wonder-working  magi- 
cians of  Pharaoh's  court  as  we  watch  the  fakirs  at 
Jerusalem  or  Damascus.  We  remember  the  com- 
mands against  these  things  in  the  laws  of  Moses ; 
we  remember  the  pretence  of  Joseph  to  the  power 
of  divination  by  means  of  his  cup ;  the  divination 
of  Balaam ;  the  witch  of  Endor ;  and  all  those  whom 
Saul  cast  out  of  his  kingdom  ;  the  magic  practices  of 
Simon  the  magician  of  Samaria ;  of  Elymas  the 
sorcerer  at  Paphos ;  of  the  young  woman  at  Phillipi 
who  had  an  evil  spirit;  of  the  seven  sons  of  Sceva 
the  Jew  at  Ephesus ;  and  of  the  evil  spirits  that 
Jesus  cast  out.  Bil)le  lands  were  ever  deeply  in- 
fected with  the  same  superstitions  that  we  find  there 
today.  The  old  Jcwisli  writings  are  full  of  them. 
Even  Christians  have  not  been  entirely  able  to  shake 
them  off.     When  Girist  appeared  to  his  disciples, 


THE  PEOPLES  OF  PALESTINE       199 


walking  safely  on  the  stormy  Sea  of  Galilee,  "they 
were  troubled,  saying,  'It  is  a  spirit,'  and  they  cried 
out  with  fear."  So  when  our  Lord  appeared  sud- 
denly in  their  midst  after  his  resurrection,  "they 
were  terrified  and  affrighted,  and  supposed  that 
they  beheld  a  spirit."  When  Rose,  the  porteress, 
saw  Peter  standing  at  the  door,  she  ran  terrified 
into  the  house,  exclaiming,  "It  is  his  angel!" 

With  us  writing  is  one  of  the  peaceful  arts,  the 
farthest  possible  removed  from  anything  uncanny. 

"Arabs,"  says  Dr.  Jessup,  "have  a  great  fear 
of  the  art  of  writing,  a  superstitious  idea  that 
a  person  who  writes  or  sketches  in  their  camp  is 
writing  some  charm  or  incantation  to  bring  m'  jchief 
upon  them.  I  once  heard  of  a  missionary  wh  j  went 
to  an  Arab  village  to  spend  the  night.  Th'  people 
were  all  Maronites  and  grossly  ignorant.  He  pitched 
his  tent  and  sat  down  to  rest.  Presently  a  crowd  of 
rough  young  men  came  in  and  began  to  insult  him. 
They  demanded  bachsheesh,  and  handled  his  bed- 
ding and  cooking  utensils  in  a  very  brutal  manner, 
and  asked  him  if  he  had  any  weapons.  He  bethought 
himself  of  one  weapon,  and  began  to  use  it.  He 
took  out  a  pencil  and  paper,  and  began  to  make  a 
sketch  of  the  ringleader.  He  looked  him  steadily  in 
the  eye,  and  then  wrote  rapidly  with  his  pencil.  The 
man  began  to  tremble  and  slowly  retreated,  and  fin- 
ally shouted  to  his  companions,  and  off  they  all 
went.  Shortly  after  they  sent  a  man  to  beg  the 
missionary  not  to  cut  off  their  heads!  Their  i)riests 
teach  them  that  the  Protestants  have  the  power  of 


ri^^^-'^r^'^'^Y^^m: iimm€g^:_  ^;^-y^.^^^. 


200 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


working  magic,  and  that  they  draw  a  man's  por- 
trait and  take  it  with  them,  and  if  the  man  does  any- 
thing to  displease  them,  they  cut  off  the  head  of  the 
picture,  and  the  man's  head  drops  off !  The  mission- 
ary sent  them  word  that  they  had  better  behave. 
And  they  molested  him  no  more." 

We  put  our  money  m  banks  or  invest  it  in 
securities;  but  in  Palestine  all  the  money  that  is 
not  turned  into  jewelry  and  worn  on  the  person  is 
hidden  in  the  ground.  Cursed  by  a  worthless  gov- 
ernment, there  are  no  stable  banks,  no  good  securi- 
ties, so  the  owner  hides  his  riches  with  greatest 
skill.  The  owner  of  such  buried  treasure,  until  his 
dying  gasp,  will  seldom  reveal  the  secret  hiding 
place  even  to  his  wife,  and  therefore  when  he  dies 
suddenly,  or  amongst  strangers,  his  secret  dies  with 
him.  Hence  the  country,  through  thousands  of 
years,  has  come  to  be  honeycombed  with  hidden 
treasures.  And  many  people  spend  most  of  their 
lives  in  wandering  about  trying  to  find  such  hidden 
property.  It  was  just  so  in  Bible  times.  We  re- 
member how  Achan  hid  the  treasure  he  had  stolen 
in  the  ground  beneath  his  tent.  We  remember  how 
the  slothful  servant  in  the  parable  wrapped  his  tal- 
ent in  a  napkin  and  hid  it  in  the  field.  We  remem- 
ber how  we  are  bidden  to  seek  for  knowledge  as 
they  that  seek  "for  hid  treasures."  "^Ve  remember 
t'-.at  our  Savior  said,  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
.;ke  unto  treasure  hid  in  a  field ;  the  which,  when  a 
man  hath  found,  he  hideth.  and  for  joy  thereof  goeth 
and  selleth  all  that  he  hath,  and  buyeth  that  field." 


!  il  !■ 


\r  li 


g^1^!>.?:'-^''-^:^^''^:^:?i'^l^•;^^J^^•  ^ 


1 1 


I 

3 


M 


THE  PEOPLES  OF  PALESTINE       201 

Legal  proceedings  in  the  Orient  are  also  strik- 
ingly different  from  ours.    With  us,  a  person  put 
on  trial  is  carefully  guarded  against  incriminating 
himself,  v/hereas  every  effort  in  the  Orient  is  em- 
ployed to  make  such  a  person  become  his  own  ac- 
cuser.    For  this  purpose  the  crude  superstition  of 
the  people  is  often  turned  to  good  account  by  the 
clever  and  cunning  native  judges.     Amongst  the 
numerous    stories    told    in    Palestine    about    these 
shrewd  officials  is  one  of  old  sheik  Abdu'l  Hady,  a 
former  governor  of  Nablus,  the  ancient  Shechem. 
There  had  been  a  robbery  of  one  of  the  shops  in 
the  town,  and  the  culprit  could  not  be  discovered. 
So,  to  the  amazement  of  all,  the  old  governor  gave 
orders  for  the  shop  door  to  be  taken  down,  and  then 
and  there  soundly  beaten,   while  he   stood  by   to 
watch  the  solemn  administration  of  the  punishment. 
As  might  well  be  supposed,  a   wondering  crowd 
gathered  around,   which  continued  to  increase  as 
the  news  of  the  extraordinary  proceeding  was  car- 
ried through  the  town,  until  nearly  all  the  inhabi- 
tants, with  many  an  exclamation  of  wonder,  had  as- 
sembled to  see  the  execution  of  this  strange  sentence. 
Then  the  governor  bent  over  the  door,  and  in  the 
hearing  of  all  the  people  demanded  to  know  who  had 
entered  it?     Who  had  stolen  the  goods?     He  in- 
clined his  ear  to  catch  the  answer,  and  then  rising 
up  and  turning  to  the  astonished  crowd  he  said: 
"The  door  declares  that  it  was  done  by  the  man 
who  has  the  cob-web  on  the  top  of  his  turban."  The 
men  all  turned  to  look  at  each  other's  headgear, 


^^-i. 


202 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


but  one  man,  moved  by  a  guilty  conscience,  instinct- 
ively raised  his  hand  to  feel  of  the  top  of  his  tur- 
ban. The  wily  old  governor,  who  was  on  the  look- 
out, had  him  seized  at  once,  and  the  man  in  his 
amazement  confessed  that  he  was  the  thief. 

What  a  light  this  Eastern  scene  throws  on  that 
startling  incident  in  the  rule  of  King  Solomon  in 
which  he  determined  by  strategy  which  of  two 
women  was  the  mother  of  a  child.  Here  were  two 
reckless  women  of  ill- fame,  and  each-  swore  that 
the  child  was  hers.  As  they  had  been  alone  in  the 
house  from  its  birth,  there  was  not  the  slightest  evi- 
dence which  could  be  called,  and  the  case  appeared 
inscrutable.  But  Solomon,  led  by  divine  wisdom, 
appealed  to  one  of  the  noblest  traits  of  human  char- 
acter. He  knew  the  inextinguishable  strength  of 
mothers'  love.  "Can  a  mother  forget  her  sucking 
child?"  And  so  he  cries,  "Bring  me  a  sword.  Di- 
vide the  living  child  in  two,  and  give  the  half  to  the 
one  and  the  half  to  the  other."  In  an  instant  it  was 
evident  to  all  who  the  true  mother  was,  and  the  just 
judge  restored  to  her  her  child  unharmed.  Such 
are  the  strange  scenes  that  even  today  may  be  wit- 
nessed in  those  Oriental  courts  of  justice.  In  their 
light  we  better  understand  the  n.eaning  of  the  oft- 
repeated  Bible  expression :    "A  just  judge." 

In  these  lands  man  honors  woman  as  though 
she  were  superior  to  himself,  in  eastern  lands  he 
treats  her  as  distinctly  inferior.  Women  are  not 
allowed  to  eat,  walk,  hold  social  intercourse  or  wor- 
ship with  men.    At  meals  the  wife,  mother  and  sis- 


THE  PEOPLES  OF  PALESTINE       203 

ters  stand  and  wait  on  the  husband,  son  or  brothers, 
and  are  afterwards  allowed  to  take  what  is  left.  If 
a  man  and  woman  are  walking  together  he  walks 
on  ahead  ai. '  ^he  follows  at  a  respectful  distance. 
At  social  gatuerings  and  at  the  place  of  prayer 
women  are  separated  from  the  men  and  closely 
veiled.  When  away  from  home  a  man  never  ad- 
dresses a  letter  to  his  wife,  but  to  his  son,  even 
though  only  a  few  months  old,  and  if  he  is  child- 
less he  will  often  send  the  letter  to  some  imaginary 
youthful  heir,  but  he  would  not  condescend  to  write 
to  his  wife.  You  cannot  insult  a  Moslem  more 
than  to  ask  after  the  health  of  his  wife.  If  a  woman 
is  even  mentioned  in  conversation,  even  though  she 
be  the  speaker's  own  wife,  politeness  requires  that 
he  apologize  for  mentioning  so  unworthy  a  subject. 
Nor  is  this  confined  to  the  Mohammedans.  Dr. 
Jessup  tells  how  a  Greek  Christian  in  Tripoli  came 
applying  for  help  to  an  American  physician.  He 
said,  "This  is  a  woman  who  is  ill.  I  beg  your  par- 
don for  mentioning  so  vile  a  subject  to  your  Ex- 
cellency." "Who,"  inquired  the  doctor,  "may  it  be?" 
"It  is  my  wife,  may  God  forgive  me!"  Nor  is  this 
all  of  woman's  degradation.  The  Koran  distinctly 
teaches  that  women  shall  be  scourged  when  they 
fail  to  do  their  husband's  bidding,  and  there  is  no 
command  that  faithful  ^Moslems  obey  more  zeal- 
ously. Blows  and  kicks  are  applied  in  the  most  bar- 
barous manner.  In  Eastern  Turkey,  a  missionary 
noticed  that  not  one  woman  attended  the  church  on 
Sunday.    He  expostulated  with  the  men  and  urged 


i 
1 


II 


a 

t  i 
\  t 

3- 

'} 

i  i 


204 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


them  to  try  to  persuade  their  wives  to  accompany 
them.  The  next  Sunday  the  women  were  all  pres- 
ent, as  meek  and  quiet  as  could  be  wished.  The 
missionary  was  delighted  and  asked  one  of  the  men 
how  they  had  persuaded  them  to  come.  He  replied, 
"We  all  beat  our  wives  soundly  until  they  consented 
to  come!"  In  Old  Testament  times  wife-beating 
was  probably  common  among  the  Jews  as  well  as 
among  the  surrounding  nations.  There  is  no  doubt 
more  in  the  gospel  command  "Husbands  love  your 
wives,  and  be  not  bitter  against  them,"  than  meets 
the  Western  eye.  The  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  has 
given  woman  a  higher  place  than  she  ever  before 
occupied.  In  view  of  these  prevailing  customs  one 
understands  better  that  strange  story  where  the 
woman  dared  only  to  touch  the  hem  of  Christ's  gar- 
ment. We  understand  too  why  the  disciples  were 
amazed  to  find  Jesus  talking  with  the  woman  at  the 
well,  and  why  the  rabbis  were  filled  with  wrath  when 
he  set  at  liberty  the  woman  whom  they  would  have 
stoned.  But,  thank  God,  wherever  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  has  been  proclaimed  woman  has  been 
exalted  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  fame  that  she 
has  ever  occupied. 

The  salutations  are  also  different  from  ours. 
When  we  salute  we  bow  the  head,  but  Easterners  al- 
ways salute  with  the  head  erect,  by  merely  raising 
the  hand  to  touch  in  quick  succession  the  heart, 
mouth  and  forehead.  But  it  is  much  more  expres- 
sive and  picturesque  than  our  salutation,  meaning 
as  it  does,  "My  heart,  my  voice,  my  brain  are  all 


>\\ 


THE  PEOPLES  OF  PALESTINE       205 


at  your  service."  From  the  pictures  found  in  the 
old  tombs  of  Eg\'pt  we  see  that  thousands  of  years 
before  Jesus  was  born  the  sahitation  was  the  same 
as  it  is  today. 

There  is  also  a  far  more  expressive  saluta- 
tion. When  you  have  given  a  gift  or  conferred  a 
favor  it  is  nothing  uncommon  for  one  of  these  peo- 
ple to  "fall  at  your  feet  and  worship  you" ;  that  is, 
throw  himself  on  his  knees,  and,  bowing  his  head 
to  the  ground,  kiss  the  lower  part  of  your  clothing, 
your  feet,  or  even  the  dust  upon  which  you  have 
trodden.  This  salutation  does  not  express  true  \vor- 
ship,  but  merely  profound  respect  and  gratitude. 
We  need  not  suppose  for  a  moment  that  the  Wise 
Men  "who  fell  down  and  worshiped"  the  infant 
Savior  knew  that  he  was  divine.  When  the  ser- 
vant in  the  parable  "fell  down  and  worshiped  his 
lord,"  when  Cornelius  "fell  down  at  his  feet  and 
worshiped"  Peter,  and  when  John  fell  at  t-  ngel's 
feet  "to  worship  him";  there  was  no  intc  iOn  to 
imply  that  these  personages,  whether  men  or  angels, 
were  divine,  but  simply  to  show  a  lowly  reverence 
for  one  who  had  conferred  a  favor.  And  no  doubt 
this  is  all  that  Satan  meant  when  he  tempted  Jesus 
"to  fall  down  and  worship  him."  When  the  woman 
cast  herself  at  Jesus'  feet  washing  them  with  tears 
and  wiping  them  with  hair  and  covering  them  with 
kisses,  she  was  in  contrast  with  all  these  for  she 
truly  worshiped  him. 

With  us  the  utmost  respect  for  a  superior  is 
shown  by  lifting  the  hats  or  lowly  bowing,  while 


2o6 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


iPSrS'' 


i  i 


to  touch  the  person  of  such  an  one  would  be  an  in- 
sult;  but  throughout  the  East  tlie  constant  mode  of 
showing  submission  or  deep  respect  is  by  kissing  the 
superior's  hand.     When  a  man  has  a  favor  to  ask, 
or  desires  to  show  gratitude  for  its  being  granted, 
he  will  seize  your  right  hand  in  both  of  his,  impress 
a  kiss  on  the  back  of  it,  and  will  then  raise  it  so 
as  to  make  it  touch  his  forehead.     Sometimes  in 
his  eager  desire  to  show  his  devotion  he  will  kiss 
your  hand  several  times.     Eastern  governors  and 
priests  compel  the  people  to  show  their  submission 
by  kissing  their  hands.    Here,  too,  we  have  a  reflec- 
tion of  Bible  times.     Thus  in  the  second  psalm  we 
read,  "Kiss  the  Son  lest  he  be  angry."     This  must 
allude  .0  kissing  the  hand,  or  possibly  the  feet  or  gar- 
ments, for  no  other  kiss  is  ever  offered  to  one  of  su- 
perior rank,  much  less  to  a  king.    Our  Lord  claims 
the  believer's  entire  devotion,  and  this  is  beautifully 
set  forth  in  this  figure  of  kissing  the  hand.     This 
custom  explains  the  kiss  of  Judas.     People  usually 
think  of  Judas  as  kissing  the  lips  or  cheek  of  Jesus 
when  he  betrayed  him  with  a  kiss,  and  we  have  al- 
most shuddered  at  this  base  act  of  familiarit\.     P.ut 
there  seems  no  reason  to  believe  that  Judas  took  any 
such  liberty  with  the  person  of  our  Lord.    His  ap- 
proach was  to  C.11  appearances  a  very  humble  one. 
He  addressed  the  Savior  as  "Rabbi,"  or  Master, 
then  threw  himself  on  his  knees  before  him  and 
kissed  his  hand— Matthew  and  Mark  tell  us  that 
he  "kissed  him  much."     This  was  the  inoffensive 
sign  by  which  Jesus  was  betrayed  into  the  hands  of 


i'\ 


i 


THE  PEOPLES  C-F  PALESTINE       207 

his  foes— a  custom   which  is  still  common  in  the 
East. 

One    more    illustration     'rom    the    cnsioms    of 
these  peculiar  people.    With  us,  in  ordinary  conver- 
sation the  name  of  Cod  is  seldom  mentioned,  except 
by  the  profane.     In  the  East  the  name  of  deity  is 
constantly  on  the  lips  of  the  careless  masses  and 
that  without  any  idea  of  profanity.     Is  a  man  as- 
tonished he  exclaims  in  mingled  surprise  and  admira- 
tion, "What  hath  Cod  wrought!"  just  as  Balaam  did 
4,000  years  ago.    You  ask  a  man  if  he  intends  to  do 
something  and  he  answers,  "If  God  will"  and  we 
are  at  once  reminded  of  the  injunction  of  James,  "Ye 
ought  to  say.  If  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  both  live 
and  do  this  or  that."    If  you  ask  after  a  man's  health, 
he  will  answer,  "\'ery  well,  thank  God !"    On  bid- 
ding you-  host  good-bye,  he  replies,  "May  God  give 
you  peac    '     When  the  new-born  babe  is  held  up 
for  you  to  admire,  ks  doting  grandmother  exclaims, 
"Behold,  the  gift  of  God."     Very  beautiful  is  the 
usual  way  of  asking  after  the  health  of  children, 
"How  are  the  preserved  of  God  ?"    Instead  of  "Good 
morning"  they  say  "God  bless  thee,"  and  the  re- 
sponse is  "God  be  with  thee,"  just  as  mentioned  in 
the  days  of  Ruth  and  Boaz.    A  guest  is  still  invited 
to  enter  with  the  words,  "Come  in  thou  blessed  of 
the  Lord,"  the  very  words  we  find  in  the  Book  of 
Genesis.     If  an  Arab  child  offers  you  water  by  the 
roadside  he  will  say  "May  God  make  it  refreshing  to 
you !"    So  it  is  witM  all  tlieir  conversation,  until  one 
feels  that  he  is  actually  talking  wiih  Abraham,  Isaac, 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


Jacob  and  all  the  worthies  of  olden  time.  Thus 
wherever  he  goes  in  that  strange  land  and  whatever 
he  sees  and  hears,  he  is  reminded  of  the  sacred  Book 
that  is  today  as  it  has  been  for  centuries  the  way 
of  life,  and  many  a  page  that  has  been  mysterious 
and  dark  is  illumined  and  made  bright. 


^m^^i■ 


WMM^i^ 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 

We  have  seen  how  the  Holy  Land  illumi- 
nates the  Holy  Book,  the  peculiar  people  of 
the  present  day  making  the  dead  past  live  again, 
v.hile  the  strange  customs  that  have  remained 
throughout  the  centuries  unchanged,  cast  a  flood  of 
light  upon  many  an  obscure  passage  of  God's  word. 
Let  us  now  continue  the  same  line  of  thought  that 
we  may  the  better  understand  the  priceless  Book. 

In  this  land  we  arc  too  'nisy  to  be  truly  hos- 
pitable ;  in  the  East  is  the  very  nome  of  hospitality. 
Not  only  is  the  latch-?tring  always  out  for  the  stran- 
ger, but  when  a  guest  of  some  distinction  is  coming 
it  is  customary  for  the  people  to  go  out  to  meet 
him  many  miles  from  the  home.  A  clergyman  of 
the  Episcopal  church  on  traveling  to  his  parish  in 
Jerusalem  was  met  upon  the  road  ten  miles  from 
the  city  by  a  company  of  people  upon  foot  and  horse- 
back who  had  come  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
greet  him.  How  cheering  such  a  welcome  must 
prove  at  the  end  of  a  long  and  weary  journey ! 
When  a  king  or  other  distinguished  man  is  arriv- 
ing, immense  numbers  of  people  go  out  thus  to  wel- 
come him  while  he  is  yet  a  great  way  off,  and  es- 
cort him  to  the  city  gate.     Do  you  not  recall  how 

309 


i 


■rial 


mi 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 

frequently  this  custom  is  mentioned  in  the  Bible, 
even  away  back  in  ihe  books  of  the  Old  Testament  ? 
Indeed  the  first  twelve  times  the  verb  "meet"  is 
found  in  the  book  of  Gene-  's  it  is  in  connection  with 
this  graceful  act  of  hospitality.  Thus  "the  king 
of  Sodom  went  out  to  meet"  Abraham ;  thus  Moses 
is  said  to  have  "brought  forth  the  people  to  meet 
with  God"  at  Mt.  Sinai ;  thus  Balak,  the  king,  went 
forth  to  meet  Balaam  the  prophet ;  thus  King  Saul 
went  out  to  meet  Samuel  "that  he  might  salute  him" 
as  the  story  quaintly  says ;  thus,  no  doubt,  "the  wom- 
en came  out  of  all  the  cities  of  Israel,  with  singing 
and  dancing,  to  meet  King  Saul,"  and  unwittingly 
stirred  up  his  fierce  jealousy  by  singing: 

"Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands 
And  David  his  tens  of  thousands." 

Thus  the  people  of  Jerusalem  traveled  over  thirty 
miles  to  meet  David  and  escort  him  back  to  his  city 
after  the  rebellion  of  Absalom ;  thus  Elisha  sent  his 
servant  "to  meet"  the  great  woman  of  Shunem  while 
she  was  yet  "far  ofif";  thus  two  kings  rode  forth 
in  their  chariots  to  meet  Jehu ;  thus  the  ten  virgins 
of  the  parable  heard  the  cry  "Go  ye  out  to  meet 
him,"  and  even  at  the  midnight  hour  went  forth  to 
meet  the  bridegroom ;  thus  "a  great  multitude  that 
had  come  to  the  feast,  when  they  heard  that  Jesus 
was  coming  to  Jerusalem,  took  branches  of  the  palm- 
trees  and  went  forth  to  meet  him,"  strewing  the 
ground  vvith  the  houghs  of  trees,  flowers  and  even 
g?rments  as  they  do  at  the  present  day;  thus  the 


■mrr^-m^m. 


LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 


211 


brethren  from  Rome  came  out  thirty-three  miles  to 
meet  the  prisoner  Paul,  and  when  Paul  saw  them 
"he  thanked  God  and  took  courage";  and  thus  at 
last,  when  the  Savior  comes,  we  are  told  that  we 
shall  be  caught  up  "to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air." 
As  no  Eastern  king  would  think  of  coming  to  his 
palace  or  realm  unless  people  were  prepared  to  come 
forth  to  meet  him,  so  King  Christ  will  have  a  glori- 
ous reception  by  a  co'mtless  host  when  he  comes 
again  to  earth.  And  there  is  a  hint  that  the  faithful 
servants  of  Jesus  shall  receive  just  such  a  welcome 
into  heaven  at  last,  those  whom  they  have  helped 
coming  forth  to  meet  them,  and  giving  them  "an 
abundant  entrance  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ." 

In  this  land  when  we  meet  old  friends  it  is  cus- 
tomary for  men  to  show  their  greeting  in  no  warmer 
way  than  a  close  handshake  and  words  of  mutual 
pleasure;  but  in  the  holy  land  when  old  friends 
meet  the  elder  will  hy  his  face  upon  the 
left  shoulder  of  the  younger  and  kiss  his  left 
cheek,  then  lay  his  hand  upon  his  friend's  right 
shoulder  and  kiss  his  right  cheek.  The  salute  will 
then  be  returned  by  the  younger  in  the  same  way. 
It  is  an  exceedingly  picturesque  and  itupressive 
greeting,  and  thoroughly  characteristic  of  the  Orient. 
Pictures  of  the  same  welcome  are  found  upon  many 
pages  of  the  Bible.  This  is  unquestionably  the  way 
in  which  Esau  welcomed  Jacob,  for  we  read  "he 
fell  on  his  neck  and  kissed  hiin."  So  Joseph,  the 
Grand  Vizier  of  Egypt,  casting  away  all  courtly  dig- 


I 

4 


mm^m 


P 

1! 


'■■•i 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 

nity,  "fell  upon  his  brother  Benjamin's  neck,"  and 
then  embraced  all  his  brethren  in  this  atlcctionatc 
way.  It  was  in  this  way  that  the  father  of  the  Prod- 
igal Son  hushed  the  penitent  self-reproaches  of  his 
erring  boy,  and  gave  such  a  beautiful  picture  of  our 
heavenly  Father's  forgiving  love.  And  we  are  told 
that  when  the  elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus  had 
learned  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more  "they 
all  wept  sorely,  and  fell  on  Paul's  neck,  and  kissed 
him."  Thus  between  the  first  and  last  mention  of 
ihis  custom  in  the  Bible  there  stretches  a  period  of 
i,QCO  years!  What  wonder,  then,  that  after  the 
lapse  of  another  1,900  years  we  find  it  still  the  same 
in  the  changeless  life  of  Bible  lands? 

In  the  cold,  unsympathetic  climate  of  these  lands 
men  seldom  weep.  Indeed  it  is  considered  unmanly 
to  weep,  and  our  boys  are  taught  not  to  gi .  .  way 
to  tears !  But  in  the  East,  in  this  as  in  so  mar  y  other 
things,  they  differ  radically  from  us.  There,  to  this 
day,  it  is  not  considered  undignified  or  unmanly  to 
weep,  but  rather  the  reverse.  On  countless  occa- 
sions of  sorrow  men  may  be  seen  in  Palestine  giving 
way  to  grief  with  terrible  cries  and  copious  tears. 
They  also  weep  for  joy.  Weeping  is  considered  no 
more  unmanly  than  is  fighting.  You  remember  how 
Homer's  warriors  weep?  and  Virgil's  "brave  /En- 
eas," who  is  pictured  as  the  very  perfection  of  manly 
strength  and  valor,  is  often  dissolved  in  tears !  What 
a  light  this  throws  on  the  truly  Oriental  manifesta- 
tions of  sorrow  and  joy  which  we  meet  with  in  the 
Bible,  and  how  strongly  it  proves  the  need  of  look- 


Hit   ! 


LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 


213 


ing  at  Holy  Scripture  in  the  lighi  of  Syrian  life. 
Esau,  that  fearless  man  of  the  world,  did  nothing 
unmanly  according  to  Eastern  ideas  when  he  "lifted 
up  his  voice  and  wept"  because  Jacob  had  stolen  his 
blessing,  or,  upon  meeting  that  same  brother  years 
afterward,  when  he  permitted  his  forgiving  spirit  to 
manifest  itself  in  tears  of  joy.    One  who  has  been  in 
the  East  understands  perfectly  what  is  meant  when 
it  is  said  of  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness 
that  "they  w  pt  loudly" ;  that  the  hardened  soldier. 
Saul,  overcome  by  David's  kindness  in  sparing  his 
life,  wept  in  the  same  way;  that  those  two  fearless 
friends,  David  and  Jonathan,  "wept  one  with  an- 
other" ;  that  upon  the  death  of  Absalom  King  Da- 
vid "and  all  his  servants  wept  with  a  very  great 
weeping" ;  that  the  Ephesian  elders  wept  at  the  de- 
parture of  Paul  till  he  said.  "What  do  ye  weeping, 
breaking  my  heart";  and  that  it  is  written  of  him 
who  above  all  others  was  "a  Alan  of  Sorrows,"  that 
"Jesus  wept." 

In  this  country  we  stand  when  at  work ;  in  the 
Orient  the  traveler  is  surprised  to  see  that  they  do 
much  of  their  work  sitting.  The  woman  washing 
her  clothes  in  the  stream  sits  at  her  work ;  in  scrub- 
bing the  floor  s.ie  sits  in  the  same  way,  sweeping 
the  water  before  her  with  a  straw  whisp.  The  car- 
penter may  be  seen  sitting  on  the  very  board  that 
he  is  planing.  The  orator  sits  while  he  speaks.  So 
with  the  potter,  and  almost  all  tradesmen.  The 
shop-keeper  in  his  tiny,  box-like  shop,  sits  in  the 
middle  all  day  long  where  he  can  reach  down  most 


214 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


t 


of  his  wares  without  moving.  So  we  read  in  the 
Bible  "He  shall  sit  as  a  renncr  and  purifier  of  sil- 
ver"; and  of  Matthew  the  tax-collector,  "sitting  at 
the  receipt  of  custom";  and  that  Jesus  found  the 
motley  changers  "sitting"  in  the  temple,  and  that  he 
overthrew  the  "seats"  of  them  that  sold  doves ;  this 
custom  also  explains  the  meaning  where  it  says 
that  "when  he  was  seated"  he  lifted  up  his  voice  and 
taught  the  multitudes ;  probably  also  he  was  seated 
when  he  preached  from  the  fisher's  boat. 

In  Palestine  and  throughout  Bible  lands  one  who 
is  accounted  a  "holy  man"  wlien  desirous  of  show- 
ing his  great  love  to  his  disciples  and  his  longing  to 
impart  a  blessing  to  them,  breathes  upon  their  hands, 
faces  and  prayer-beads.  The  idea  seems  to  be  that 
he  would  willingly  impart  to  his  disciples  the  spirit 
and  life  that  animates  himself.  This  act  throws  a 
new  light  upon  that  Scripture  passage  that  tells  us 
when  Jesus  returned  to  his  disciples  after  the  resur- 
rection "he  breathed  upon  them  and  said  unto  them, 
Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost."  It  is  certain  that  our 
Lord  did  not  at  this  time  actually  give  '.hem  the 
Holy  Spirit,  for  he  was  not  conferred  till  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  forty  days  later.  What  then  did  he 
mean  by  this  action?  Simply  this,  it  was  an  ex- 
pression of  his  desire  to  bless  his  disciples  and  a 
jirophct-like  assurance  of  his  favor  and  love. 

In  this  country  where  springs  and  rivers  abound, 
water  is  as  free  as  the  air;  in  the  Holy  Land  it  is 
less  common  and  more  highly  valued.  A  curious 
custom  prevails  in  Palestine  of  leaving  little  hollows 


t>' 


JL^V  .,'<:>: 


LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 


215 


in  the  tops  of  the  tombstones  in  which  water  is  kept 
for  the  thirsty  birds.  And  sometimes  you  will  also 
find  a  drinking-jar  filled  with  water  for  the  thirsty 
traveler.  The  one  beside  whose  tomb  the  water  is 
made  provision  for  this  act  o'  perpetual  charity  be- 
fore his  death.  Through  every  city  the  water-car- 
riers may  be  seen  going  from  street  to  street  with 
goat-skins  slung  over  their  shoulders  filled  with 
water  which  they  peddle  from  one  pair  of  thirsty 
lips  to  another.  At  Easter  in  some  places  the  high- 
ways are  lined  with  boys  and  girls  lifting  up  the 
common,  red-earthenv/are,  spouted  drinking  vessels 
to  the  pilgrims,  that  they  may  drink  of  the  water 
which  has  lieen  brought  from  the  neighboring 
springs.  It  is  hardly  possible  in  this  country  to 
understand  how  terribly  the  traveler  in  Palestine 
longs  for  a  cool  drink  as  he  rides  on  horseback  across 
those  burning  hills  and  lieneath  that  burning  sun. 
When  our  blessed  Lord  first  sent  out  his  twelve  poor 
apostles  it  was  certain  that  they  would  have  to  tramp 
on  foot  through  many  a  weary  mile,  parched  and 
thirsty,  as  they  went  to  the  countless  cities  and  vil- 
lages of  Galilee.  How  welcome,  how  necessary  on 
many  a  scorching  day  this  kind  of  refreshment 
would  be !  In  their  poverty  they  were  looked  upon 
by  the  people  as  of  little  account,  they  were  only 
"little  ones."  In  this  light  how  suggestive  is  the 
Savior's  farewH^ll  promise  to  them,  "Whosoever 
shall  give  to  drink  unto  one  of  these  little  ones  a  cup 
of  cold  water  only  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  verily 
I  sav  unto  vou  he  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  reward." 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 

"In  India,  Hindoo  idolators  will  often  fetch  water 
from  far,  and  will  stand  with  it  from  morning  to 
night  in  those  parts  of  the  great  highways  where 
there  are  no  fountains  or  rivers,  oflFering  it  to  thirsty 
passersby  in  honor  of  their  gods.  Doubtless  this 
was  an  ancient  and  well  known  custom  in  all  heathen 
lands,  and  hence  we  understand  the  full  meaning  of 
the  words  of  Jesus  as  quoted  by  Mark :  "Whoso- 
ever shall  give  you  a  cup  of  water  to  drink  in  my 
name,  verily  I  say  unto  you  he  shall  not  lose  his 
reward." 

In  this  land  one  may  lie  down  in  safety  almost 
anywhere  and  sleep  without  need  of  armed  guards ; 
but  wherever  the  traveler  pitches  his  tent  in  the  Holy 
Land,  in  order  to  be  safe  he  must  have  a  "keeper," 
that  is  an  armed  man  who  will  guard  both  life  and 
property  while  the  traveler  sleeps.    The  government 
is  so  weak,  robbers  so  common,  life  so  cheap  that 
travelers  not  only  have  to  have  an  armed  escort  by 
day  but  much  more  a  guardian  by  night.     When 
night  dravvs  down  the  tents  are  pitched  outside  some 
village  and  application  is  at  once  made  to  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  village  for  a  "keeper,"  to  watch  over 
the  sleeping  encampment  during  the  night.     When 
this  has  been  done  the  village  supplying  the  keeper 
becomes  collectively   responsible   for  the  lives  and 
property  of  all  within  the  camp  over  which  he  is  set 
as  guard.     No  experienced   traveler   in   Palestine 
would  think  of  lying  down  to  sleep  in  strange  fields 
without  first  obtaining  one  or  more  of  such  night 
guardians.    And  yet  even  then  one's  anxieties  are 


LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 


217 


not  always  at  an  end.    The  "keepers"  themselves  are 
sometimes  dishonest  and  rob  the  very  tents  they  are 
paid  to  watch.    Or  when  they  are  honest  they  are 
sometimes    overcome    by    prowling    desperadoes. 
Sometimes  their  fear  of  evil  spirits  makes  cowards 
of  them.  And  perhaps  most  frequently  of  all,  instead 
of  keeping  awake,  they  are  no  sooner  assured  that 
the  people  over  whom  they  are  supposed  to  watch 
are  asleep  than  they  also  lie  down  beside  the  tent 
and  are  soon  wrapped  in  slumber.    In  .spite  of  all 
our  precautions  two  of  our  party  were  robbed  in 
the  night  during  our  pilgrimage,  and  we  could  learn 
nothing  concerning  the  robbers.  Well  has  the  psalm- 
ist alluded  to  the  weariness  of  those  who  keep  faith- 
ful watch  and  how  they  long  for  day  during  the 
tedious,  lonely  hours  of  darkness,  when  he  says, 
"My  soul  waits  for  the  Lord 
More  than  keepers  for  the  morning, 
Yea,  more  than  keepers  for  the  morning." 
Many  a  time,  upon  awakening  at  night  in  my  tent, 
and  hearing  the  footsteps  of  the  keeper  without, 
have  I  called  to  mind  that  other  Keeper  of  whom 
David  sang  so  beautifully, 
"He  that  keepeth  thee  will  not  slumber. 
Behold  he  that  keepeth  Israel  shall  neither  slumber 

nor  sleep. 
The  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day, 
Nor  the  moon  by  night. 
The  Lord  is  thy  keeper. 
The  Lord  shall  preserve  the^^  from  all  evil ; 
He  shall  preserve  thy  soul." 


.J^Jk^lf^Jtt^^, 


2l8 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


!•«' 


In  this  country  tombs  are  collected  into  cemeter- 
ies ;  in  Palestine  they  are  scattered  all  over  the  land. 
Upon  many  of  the  hilltops  of  Palestine  the  traveler 
will   see  a   solitary   and   very  conspicuous   white- 
washed stone  building,  about  ten  feet  square  and 
eight  feet  high,  surmounted  by  a  small  dome.    It  is 
the  tomb  of  some  "holy  man,"  and  is  considered  a 
holy  place.    These  are  the  "high  places,"  which  ex- 
isted away  back  in  the  time  of  Moses  and  which  the 
Israelites  were  commanded  to  destroy.     Frequently 
there  is  a  sacred  tree  beside  the  building  and  it  is  all 
covered  over  in  a  most  gaudy  and  ridiculous  manner 
with  little  pieces  of  colored  rags  tied  to  every  twig, 
as  votive  olTerings  to  the  spirit  of  the  tomb.     The 
superstitious  reverence  for  the  trees  and  tombs  is 
almost  boundless.     Every  bit  of  stone,  every  tiny 
twig  is  carefully  preserved.    The  people  would  per- 
ish with  cold  before  they  would  take  a  stick  of  this 
holy  wood  for  fire.     My  life  was  once  threatened 
by  the  Moslem  guardian  of  the  sacred  oak  of  Mamre 
because  I  dared  to  break  off  a  twig  or  two  as  souve- 
nirs, and  my  dragoman  told  me  that  more  than  one 
traveler  had  lost  his  life  at  the  hands  of  these  fanat- 
ics by  a  similar  act.     In  this  land  of  thieves  ami 
robbers,  anything  is  perfectly  secure  that  is  left  at 
these  holy  places.    Valuable  things  may  be  left  there 
for  days  at  a  time  and  they  will  be  as  safe  as  though 
in  a  bank.    There  also  truthfulness  prevails.    These 
poor  people  of  the  Palestine  villages  are  inveterate 
liars.     They  will  themselves  tell  you  that  "if  there 
are  twenty-four  inches  of  hypocrisy  in  the  world. 


it; ' 


LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 


219 


twenty-three  are  in  Syria."  They  say  that  "in  the 
beginning  of  the  world,  Satan  came  down  to  the 
earth  with  seven  l)ags  of  Hes,  whicli  he  intended  to 
distribute  in  the  seven  kingdoms  of  the  earth.  The 
first  night  after  he  reached  the  ear  ii  he  slept  in 
Syria,  and  opened  one  of  Uie  bags,  letting  the  lies 
loose  in  the  land ;  and  while  he  was  asleep  someone 
came  and  opened  all  the  others !"  They  perjure 
themselves  by  the  most  awful  oaths  without  the  least 
compunction ;  but  a  simple  promise  made  at  one  of 
these  holy  places  is  kept  with  great  sacredness.  Here, 
and  here  alone  in  Syria,  truthfulness  prevails,  for 
they  believe  that  falsehood  would  ])ring  disaster  and 
death.  You  will  readily  understand  what  light  these 
"high  places"  throw  upon  the  Bible.  When  Abra- 
ham was  to  ofYer  up  Isaac  it  ws  to  one  of  these 
places  that  he  came ;  in  such  a  place  Jacob  slept  with 
a  stone  for  a  pillow,  feeling  that  there  he  was  se- 
cure; in  these  "high  places"  sacrifice  and  prayer 
were  offered  from  the  earliest  centuries ;  in  such  a 
place  at  last  the  temple  was  built ;  of  such  a  place 
it  was  that  David  sang  "Who  shall  ascend  into  the 
hill  of  the  Lord,  and  who  shall  stand  in  his  holy 
place?"  To  these  places  the  ancient  prophets  came 
and  talked  with  God.  So  the  pious  Israelite  could 
sing,  "I  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  unto  the  hills  whence 
Cometh  my  help;  my  help  cometh  from  the  Lord 
who  made  heaven  and  earth."  The  hills  and  moun- 
tains crowned  and  consecrated  by  these  holy  places 
became  to  him  symbols  of  the  eternal  and  unchange- 
able righteousness  and  love  of  God.    Just  over  the 


220 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


»  I 


,  1 


hills  they  saw  the  heavens.     Upon  their  summits 
they  talked  with  God. 

But  these  high   places  which  once  were  sacred 
to  the  purest  religion  that  was  known  to  the  ancient 
world  have  now  degenerated  into  the  strongholds 
of  superstition.    Indeed  many  of  them  are  absolutely 
spurious  and  mark  the  resting  place  of  no  so-called 
"holy  man,"  but  are  kept  up  merely  for  the  gains 
they  bring  to  the  owners  as  the  following  story  from 
Syria  vvill  show:     Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a 
great  Sheikh  Ali,  a  holy  ma:      ^ho  kept  a  holv  tomh 
of  an  ancient  prophet.     The  tomb  was  on'  a  hill 
under  a  big  oak  tree  and  the  white  dome  could  be 
seen  for  miles  around.     Lamps  were  kept  burning 
day  and  night  in  the  tomh,  and  if  anv  one  extin- 
guished them  they  were  miraculously  lighted  again. 
Sick  people  came  to  visit  it  and  were  cured.    The 
earth  around  the  tomb  was  carried  off  to  be  used  as 
a  medicine.    Women  came  and  tied  old  rags  to  the 
limbs  of  the  tree  as  vows  to  the  wonderful  prophet. 
A  green  cloth  was  spread  over  the  tomb  under  the 
dome,  and  incense  was  sold  by  the  sheikh  to  tho.e 
who  wished  to  heal  their  sicu  ■  r  drive  out  evil  spir- 
its from  their  houses.    Pilgrims  came  from  afar  to 
visit  the  holy  place,  and  its  fame  spread  over  all 
the  land.    Sheikh  Al:  was  becoming  a  rich  man,  and 
all  the  pilgrims  kissed  his  hand  and  begged  his  bless- 
ing. 

Now  Sheikh  AH  had  a  faithful  servant  named  Mo- 
hammed, who  had  served  him  long  and  well.  But 
Mohammed  was  weary  of  living  in  one  place,  and 


'^.^t;- 


LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 


221 


asked   permission   to  go  and  seek  his   fortune  in 
foreign  parts.     So  Sheikh  Ali  gave  him  his  bless- 
ing, and  presented  him  with  a  donkey  which  he  had 
had  for  many  year-,  and  sent  him  upon  his  way. 
Aftor  a  long  journey  he  came  to  a  desert  place  east 
of  Jordan.     No  village  or  house  was  in  sight  and 
night  came  on.    Tired,  hungry  and  discouraged  poor 
Mohammed  lay  down  by  his  donkey  on  a  great  pile 
of  stones  and  fell  asleep.    In  the  mo/ning  he  awoke, 
and  alas !  his  donkey  was  dead.    In  deep  sorrow  he 
heaped  a  pile  of  stones  over  its  body,  and  sat  down 
to  weep.    While  he  was  weeping  a  wealthy  pilgrim 
came  along  on  his  return  from  Mecca.    He  was  sur- 
prised to  see  a  man  alone  in  this  wilderness,  and 
asked  him  why  he  was  weeping.     Mohammed  re- 
plied, "O,  pilgrim,  I  have  found  the  tomb  of  a  holy 
prophet,  and  I  have  vowed  to  be  its  keeper,  but  I 
am  in  great  need."    The  pilgrim  dismounted  to  visit 
the  holy  place  and  gave  Mohammed  a  rich  present. 
After  he  had  gone  Mohammed  hastened  to  tiie  near- 
est village,  bought  provisions,  and  returned  to  his 
holy  proi)het's  tomb.    Other  pilgrims,  hearing  of  the 
place    thronged  to  tlie  zpr^t  with  rich  presents  and 
offerings.     As  money  came  in  Mohammed  built  a 
costly  tomb,  with  a  dome  that  could  be  seen  across 
the  Jordan.     There  he  lived,  increasing  in  wealth 
and  fame,  and  the  prophet's  tomb  became  one  of  the 
great  shrines  of  the  land. 

At  length  Sheikh  Ali  heard  of  the  fame  of  the 
new  shrine  in  the  desert,  and  as  his  own  visitors 
began  to  fall  off,  decided  to  go  and  visit  the  tomb 


222 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


of  that  famous  prophet.     When  he  arrived  there 
with  his  rich  presents  of  green  cloth,  incense  and 
money,  he  bowed  in  silence  to  pray  toward  Mecca, 
when  suddenly  he  recognized  in  the  holy  keeper  of 
the  tomb  his  old  servant  Mohammed.     "Peace  be 
to  you,"  said  Sheikh  AH.    "Upon  you  be  peace,"  re- 
plied  Mohammed,     When  he  asked  him   how  he 
came  there,  and  how  iie  found  the  tomb,  Mohammed 
replied  that  it  was  a  great  mystery  which  he  was  not 
permitted  to  reveal.     "But  you  must  tell  me,"  s^id 
Sheikh  Ali,  "for  I  am  a  father  to  you."     At  last 
Mohammed  consented.    "You  remember,"  said  he, 
"the  donkey  you  gave  me?    It  was  a  faithful  don- 
key.   When  it  died  I  buried  it,  and  this  ''s  its  tomb !" 
"Mashallah!  Mashallah!"  said  Sheikh  Ali.     "The 
will  of  God  be  done  !"    Then  they  ate  and  drank  to- 
gether and  renewed  the  memory  of  their  former  life, 
until  finally  Sheikh  Mohammed  asked  Sheikh  Ali  to 
tell  him  the  secret  of  his  tomb.    "Impossible,"  said 
Ali,  "for  that  is  one  of  the  ancient  mysteries  too 
sacred  for  mortal  lips."    "But  you  must  tell  me,"  in- 
sisted Mohammed,  "even  as  I  told  you."    At  length 
old  Sheikh  Ali  stroked  his  snowy  beard,  adjusted 
his  white  turban,  and  wliispered    to    Mohammed, 
"And  my  holy  place  is  the  tomb  of  your  donkey's 
father!"    "Mashallah!"  said  Mohammed,  "may  Al- 
lah bless  the  beard  of  the  holy  donkeys !"  Many  a 
holy  place  in  Palestine  lias  no  better  foundation  than 
had  these  tombs.    But  some  of  these  tombs  are  un- 
doubtedly genuine.     Such  is  Rachel's  tomb  near  to 
Bethlehem,  the  tombs  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob 


LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND 


223 


at  Hebron,  Absalom's  tomb  near  Jerusalem,  and 
Joseph's  tomb  close  beside  Jacob's  Well. 

Thus  the  true  and  the  false  flourish  side  by  side, 
superstition  and  religion  often  seeming  to  go  hand 
in  hand,  fraud  being  akin  to  faith  in  that  land  which 
first  of  all  '•eceived  the  teachings  of  the  Christ.  And 
as  the  Vuvoier  croes  from  place  to  place  and  finds  al- 
most owherc  that  simplicity  of  faith  which  was 
taugh  i;y  the  Man  of  Galilee  he  ponders  over  and 
over  again  the  strange  providence  of  God  whereby 
the  land  once  called  holy  has  now  become  the  home 
of  superstition  and  Alohammedanism,  and  yet  he 
thanks  God  that  so  much  has  been  preserved  to  make 
more  clear  to  the  other  nations  of  mankind  the 
teachings  of  the  Scripture. 


H  . 


jJlgH 


CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  SANCTUARY  OF  THE  MIND 

"Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatso- 
ever things  are  honorable,  whatswz'er  things  arc  just, 
whatsoever  things  are  pure,  zehatsoever  things  are  lovely, 
whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report,  if  there  be  any 
virtue,  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things." 

We  have  never  begun  to  understand  the  influ- 
ence of  our  thoughts  upon  our  religion.  Had  the 
apostle  said,  "Whatsoever  things  are  true,  honor- 
able, just,  pure,  lovely  *  *  do  these  things;"  it 
v^'ould  have  been  what  we  should  naturally  expect 
from  him.  But  when  he  said,  "Whatsoever  things 
are  true,  honorable,  just,  pure,  lovely,  *  * 
THINK  on  ihese  things,"  it  strikes  us  as  being  pass- 
ing str.i'ige.  But  the  apostle  is  right  and  we  are 
wrong.  Paul  saw  that  religion  must  change  the 
mind.  Mind  is  the  center  of  the  man.  "Every 
thought"  must  be  brought  into  "subjection  to  the 
obedience  of  Christ."  So  the  apostle  holds  before 
us  the  Christian  virtues,  and  says :  "Think  on  these 
things." 

THE  CHRISTIAN  aIIaT  SHOlT.n  BE  A  SANCTUARY. 

Like  Solomon's  temple,  it  may  have  an  "outer 
court,"  into  which  the  common  afTairs  of  life  may 
enter.    But  it  should  also  have  a  "holy  place,"  for 

224 


s 


\9V 


SANCTUARY  OF  THE  MIND  225 

purification  and  sanctification,  and  a  "holy  of 
holies,"  which  none  may  enter  but  the  Holy  Spirit 
of  God,  the  high  priest  of  the  sanctuary.  This 
was  the  sublime  metaphor  of  Paul's  mind  when  he 
said,  "Ye  are  the  ten?  le  of  the  Holy  Ghost  which 
is  in  you."  But  even  the  temple  at  times  becomes 
defiled.  Twice  during  our  Savior's  life  did  he  enter 
into  the  temple  of  God,  overthrowing  and  casting 
forth,  and  with  a  knotted  cord  driving  out  those 
who  would  defile  that  sacred  place.  Would  that 
that  same  blessed  Reformer  might  enter  the  sanc- 
tuary of  our  minds,  overthrowing  our  vain  imagi- 
nations, casting  forth  our  unlu 'y  desires  and  with 
a  knotted  cord  drive  out  that  herd  of  evil  thoughts 
which  like  the  oxen  in  the  temple  are  an  impedi- 
ment to  the  worship  of  God!  How  often  it  hap- 
pens that  the  whole  mind  is  so  filled  with  thoughts, 
which,  while  not  evil  in  themselves,  are  "of  the 
earth,  earthy,"  that  those  heavenly  thoughts  of 
which  our  text  tells  cannot  entor,  but  hover  around 
like  doves  around  their  windows,  and  we  hear  only 
the  rustling  of  their  wings.  We  should  cast  forth 
the  evil  and  receive  the  good,  as  Noah  sent  forth 
the  raven,  but  welcomed  back  the  returning  dove. 

None  of  us,  I  believe,  fully  know  the  influence 
of  thought  upon  life.  H  we  did  we  would  be  mor? 
careful  of  our  thoughts.  Better  to  have  the  body 
in  poverty  while  the  mind  is  stored  with  riches 
than  to  have  the  mind  in  want  and  filth  though  the 
body  roll  in  wealth.  Thoughls  that  are  low,  vile, 
degrading,  are  like  a  millstone  around  the  neck  of 


226 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


''  I .. 


a  drowning  man.  They  are  :se,  for  they  not 
only  drag  him  downward,  L-.t  sink  others  also. 
Evil  thoughts  though  never  spoken  are  like  the 
microbes  of  a  fatal  malady ;  they  steal  silently  forth, 
invisible  but  invincible,  and  strike  down  victim 
after  victim.  But  the  influence  of  good  thoughts, 
who  can  estimate  it?  They  need  never  be  spoken, 
yet  they  will  fill  the  mind  with  jewels  more  precious 
than  the  pearls  that  covered  the  walls  of  Nero's 
golden  palace;  like  good  angels  they  will  fiy  forth 
from  the  sanctuary  of  the  soul,  bringing  glad  tid- 
ings of  great  joy  to  the  lives  of  others.  A  good 
thought  is  never  lost,  but  the  waves  of  its  influence 
grow  wider  and  wider,  until  it  is  literally  true,  as 
the  poet  Young  has  said,  "Our  thoughts  are  heard 
in  heaven."  A  scientist,  Prof.  Keely,  has  recently 
discovered  that  he  can  produce  motion  from 
musical  notes,  and  he  predicts  that  the  time  will 
come  when  mills  will  be  run  no  longer  by  steam  or 
electricity,  but  when  musical  vibration  will  furnish 
the  motive  power.  Whatever  the  practical  outcome 
of  his  discovery  may  be,  its  underlying  principle 
certainly  applies  to  the  mind.  Let  a  choir  of  good 
thoughts,  like  a  chorus  of  angels,  sing  in  your  mind, 
and  you  have  a  power  which  will  move  the  ma- 
chinery of  life  by  its  harmonies  and  by  unseen  belts 
of  influence  will  set  forces  in  operation  in  other 
lives,  which  shall  produce  from  them  the  image  of 
the  beautiful  and  true. 

Having  thus  seen  the  transcendent  importance 


SANCTUARY  OF  THE  MIND  227 

of  this  subject,  let  us  now  consider  briefly  the  things 
upon  which  the  apostle  would  have  us  think. 

TRUE. 

"Whatsoever  things  are  true,  *  *  *  think 
on  these  things."  There  is  a  true  and  a  false  side 
to  life;  let  your  though*^-  be  occupied  with  th? 
which  is  true.  There  is  a  shadow  and  a  substa.iCC 
to  life— that  which  really  is  and  that  which  merely 
has  the  appearance  of  being;  grasp  the  substance 
but  shim  the  shadows.  There  is  a  temporal  and 
an  eternal  life — "the  things  which  are  seen  are 
temporal,  *  *  *  the  things  which  are  unseen 
are  eternal ;"  let  your  mind  cling  to  eternal  things. 
There  is  a  transient  and  a  permanent  to  life — heav- 
en and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  the  word  of  God 
shall  not  pass  away  ;  let  your  thoughts  be  upon  those 
things  that  shall  abide  forever.  There  are  sands 
which  shift  with  every  storm ;  and  there  is  a  Rock 
which  moveth  never  ;  let  the  temple  of  your  thoughts 
be  built  upon  the  solid  Rock.  Whatsoever  things 
are  true,  virtuous,  substantial,  permanent,  eternal — 
think  on  these  things ;  but  the  false,  vicious,  shad- 
owy, shifting,  temporal  things — suffer  them  not  to 
enter  the  sanctuary  of  your  mind. 

Think  of  Christ,  for  Christ  is  the  King  of  Truth. 
Think  of  his  life,  for  he  lived  the  truth.  Think 
of  the  teachings  of  this  Book,  for  this  is  the  "Word 
of  Truth."  Search  for  that  which  is  true  in  life  as 
the  miner  searches  for  gold  among  the  sands  of 
Cripple  Creek.     And   when   thou  hast   found   the 


i 


i     ■       ■:     \ 


i 


|i  .'      ' 


l'  1 


t     I 


1' 


1    . 


228 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


truth,  and  its  adoption  proved,  grapple  it  to  thy 
soul  with  hooks  of  steel. 

HONORABLE. 

Think  of  that  which  is  true;  think  also  of  that 
which  is  honorable.  "Whatsoever  things  are  hon- 
orable, think  on  these  things."  Whatever  is  vener- 
able and  sacred  in  character,  worthy  of  honor  in 
the  sight  of  God  and  men.  There  are  honorable  peo- 
ple— God's  heroes  and  heroines.  Who  can  think 
of  the  life  of  Abraham  without  being  more  faith- 
ful, of  Job  without  being  more  patient,  of  Daniel 
without  being  more  prayerful,  of  Elijah  without 
being  more  brave,  of  Mary  without  being  more 
pure,  of  John  without  being  more  lovable,  of  the 
martyrs  without  being  more  bold,  of  the  mission- 
aries of  the  cross  without  being  more  consecrated  ? 
Many  there  are  who  search  for  the  dishonorable  in 
the  lives  of  others  as  the  keen-eyed  vulture  searches 
for  carrion ;  but  the  apostle  teaches  us  a  better  way 
when  he  says,  "Whatsoever  things  are  honoral)le, 
*  *  *  think  on  these  things."  There  are  hon- 
orable books.  See  to  it  that  you  read  only  the 
best.  From  the  vast  library  of  literature  choose 
only  those  books  which  will  in  some  way  help  you 
tc  live  a  truer,  more  honorable  life — books  that  will 
give  to  the  mind  some  new  truth,  to  the  soul  some 
nobler  aspiration.  There  is  One  above  all  others 
who  is  worthy  to  receive  honor;  it  is  He  before 
whose  throne  all  the  hosts  of  heaven  bow,  crying, 
"Blessing,  and   honor,   and  glory,  and  power,  be 


SANCTUARY  OF  THE  MIND 


229 


unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  unto  the 
Lamb,  forever  and  ever."  Upon  Him  our  thoughts 
should  often  be  fixed.  When  OHver  Cromwell,  at 
the  head  of  his  army,  went  to  the  British  House  of 
Commons  and  demanded  entrance,  they  at  first  re- 
fused him,  but  calling  a  blacksmith  he  broke  down 
the  door,  and  then  looking  around  upon  those  who 
had  been  corrupting  his  nation,  he  stamped  with 
anger  upon  the  floor  and  cried,  "Get  ye  gone  and 
give  place  to  more  honorable  men!"  Would  that 
we,  in  the  strength  of  the  Spirit,  could  enter  the 
sanctuary  of  the  mind,  and  in  righteous  anger  say 
to  every  thought  that  is  dishonorable  to  God  or  man, 
"Get  ye  gone  and  give  place  to  more  honorable 
thoughts !"' 

PURE. 

"Whatsoever  things  are  pure,  *  *  *  think  on 
these  things."  We  grow  like  our  thoughts;  we  can- 
not entertain  impure  thoughts  without  becoming 
corrupt,  nor  can  we  think  good  thoughts  without 
becoming  pure.  Keep  thy  thoughts  pure,  and  thou 
wilt  obey  the  apostle's  command,  "Keep  thyself 
pure."  "As  a  man  tliinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he." 
The  Scripture  dcd  res,  "The  wisdom  that  is  from 
above  is  first  PURE,  *  *  *  and  every  man 
that  hath  this  hope  in  him  purifieth  himself  even  as 
he  is  pure."  Our  Savior  said,  "If  thine  eye  offend 
thee,  pluck  it  out ;  if  thine  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it 
off ;"  and  he  might  have  continued,  "If  thy  mind  of- 
fend thee,  dethrone  thy  reason ;  it  is  better  for  thee 
thus  to  enter  heaven  than  with  thy  senses  to  be  cast 


230 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


ill 


into  hell."  Better  be  like  Diogenes  and  live  in  a  tub 
with  a  pure  mind  than  with  Nero's  impure  thoughts 
to  dwell  in  a  palace.  Think  then  on  those  thngs  that 
are  pure.    Let  thy  thoughts  be  such  that  wnen  they 
shine  forth  from  thine  eyes  they  shall  be  as  fair 
as  the  moon  and  as  clear  as  the  sun.     Let  them 
be  such  that  if  thy  companion  should  discover  them 
he  would  find  them  as  fragrant,  sweet  and  pure  as 
the  blossoms  of  the  arbutus  which  cluster  'neath  the 
thick,  coarse  loaves.    Let  them  be  such  that  if  spok- 
en they  would  be  as  clear  and  pure  as  the  sparkling 
waters  that  bubble  forth  from  some  silvery  moun- 
tain spring.     Let  them  ever  be  such  that  He  who 
readeth  the  secret  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart 
shall  never  turn  away  in  anger,  but  shall  rather  re- 
joice as   He  shall  find  this  mind  of  purity   in  us 
which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus. 

I.OVELV. 

"Whatsoever  things  are  lovely,     *     *     *     think 
on   these   things."     God   has   made  this   earth   an 
art  palace,  carpeted  with  green,  ceiled  with  blue,  and 
hung  round  about  with  glorious  landscapes  that  we 
might  behold  these  lovely  things  and  be  made  bet- 
ter by  them.     No  one  can  thoughtfully  look  at  a 
summer  sunset,  when  the  angels  of    the    evening 
seem  to  raise  the  blue  curtain  of  the  skies  and  re- 
veal to  us  the  glories  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  with- 
out being  the  better  for  it.    Think  of  the  Northern 
Lights,  those  snowy  curtains  which  mother  Night 
spreads  across  the  couches  of  the  stars  as  tenderly 


SANCTUARY  OF  THE  MIND         231 

as  an  earthly  mother  tucks  her  children  in  between 
the  sheets,  and  you  will  be  made  purer.     Think  of 
the  tiowcrs  which  in  a  few  months  will  dot  every 
field,  fringe  every  forest  and  bedeck  every  prairie 
—a  beautiful  embroidery,  worked  by  the  hand  of 
God  in  the  green  mantle  of  the  spring— and  your 
heart  will  be  stirred  with  gratitude  to  the  giver  of 
these  perfect  gifts.     Stand  still  some  summer  day 
and  listen  to  the  music  of  Nature's  harp,  chirping 
insects,  singing  birds,  laughing  children,  murmur- 
ing river,  lowing  herd,  bubbling  waterfall  or  the 
rumbling  thunder  that  drowns  all  other  sounds  m 
its  deep  bass,  and  as  you  think  that  God  hath  taught 
them  all  their  songs  you  will  be  led  to  join  your 
own  voice  in  that  chorus  of  praise.     Think  of  the 
snows  of  winter,  that  spotless  veil,  which  even  now 
is  being  woven  in  the  looms  of  heaven,  that  soon 
this  earth  may  be  bedecked  for  God  as  a  bride 
adorned  for  her  husband,  and  you  will  be  led  to 
prav,  "Wash  me  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow. 
Think  of  the  lovely  attributes  in  human  character 
—love,  joy,  peace,  gentleness,  goodness,  meekness, 
temperance,  faith,  and  you  will  be  led  to  covet  them 
for  yourself.  Yea,  think  of  Him  who  is  "altogether 
lovely  and  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,"  "the 
Lily  of  the  Valley  and  the  Rose  of  Sharon,"  thmk 
of  Him  and  you  will  long  to  be  like  Him. 

GOOD   RF.rORT. 

"Whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report, 
think  on  these  things."     In  these  words  the  apostle 
strikes  our  poor  human  nature  where  the  best  of 


A 


It 


'3  1 


\ti", 


'     IS 


232 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


us  are  least  able  to  bear  the  blow.  How  mi:ch 
easier  it  is  for  us  to  think  of  evil  reports  than 
good.  Evil  reports  fly  like  the  wind,  growing  great- 
er and  speeding  swifter  every  time  they  are  uttered. 
Good  reports  fly  slowly  and  are  so  diminished  by 
"buts"  and  "ifs,"  that  they  grow  smaller  the  farther 
they  go. 

As  the  immortal  Shakespeare  has  declared : 

"The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them ; 
The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones." 

What  a  tremendous  change  would  come  over  our 
newspapers  if  they  should  publish  only  those  things 
that  are  of  good  report!  Yea,  what  a  transforma- 
tion would  there  be  in  our  lives  if  we  should  think 
only  those  things  that  are  attractive,  winsome  and 
of  good  f-eport ! 

VIRTL'E. 

"If  there  be  any  virtue,  *  *  *  think  on  these 
things."  This  is  the  summing  up  of  all  that  has 
gone  before.  If  there  be  anything  good  in  life, 
think  on  it.  Be  not  content  to  have  your  mind 
filled  with  trivialities,  but  seek  first  of  all  the  king- 
dom of  the  beautiful,  the  good,  the  true.  Perhaps 
no  better  example  of  this  can  be  found  than  So- 
crates. He  was  supremely  careless  of  those  things 
that  are  usually  regarded  as  all-important,  but  su- 
premely careful  to  preserve  the  sanctity  of  his  mind. 
Barefoot  and  clad  in  rags,  he  trod  the  streets  of 
Athens,  vet  he  was  the  teacher  of  teachers  and  the 


SANCTUARY  OF  THE  iMIND 


^33 


prince  of  philosophers,  for  his  mind  was  filled  with 
noblest  thought  of  the  human  virtues,  the  sanctity 
of  character  and  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  When, 
oh  when,  shall  we  learn  that  our  thinking  is  far 
more  important  than  our  clothing  or  eating  or 
drinking,  and  that  pure  thoughts  are  more  to  be 
coveted  than  pearls  and  good  thoughts  than  the 
gold  of  Ophir?  Over  the  portals  of  his  Inferno, 
Dante  placed  the  words,  "Abandon  hope,  all  ye  who 
enter  here."  Upon  the  lintels  and  the  door-post  of 
the  sanctuary  of  your  mind  write  this  motto  :  "Aban- 
don vice,  all  thoughts  that  enter  here,"  but  think 
of  those  things  that  are  filled  with  virtue. 

PR.\ISE. 

"If  there  be  any  praise,"  says  the  apostle,  "think 
on  these  things."  If  there  be  any  praise,  why,  the 
world  is  full  of  that  which  is  worthy  of  praise. 
There  are  heroes  and  heroines  all  around  us,  did 
we  but  recognize  them.  This  world  has  more  sym- 
pathetic hearts,  hears  more  kind  words  and  sees 
more  unselfish  deeds  than  we  sometimes  give  it 
credit  for.  Think  of  the  faithfulness  often  shown 
in  misfortune,  fortitude  in  suffering,  devotion  in 
sickness,  sympathy  and  bereavement.  "Would  a 
man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friend?"  Yes,  there 
are  a  thousand  men  and  women  in  this  city  who 
would  even  dare  to  lay  down  their  lives  could  this 
but  spare  those  who  are  dear  to  them.  Be  not  a 
cynical  pessimist,  harping  eternally  on  the  failings 
of  mankind;  but  "If  there  be  any  praise,  *  *  * 
think  on  these  things." 


1- 


^  u 


234  PILGRIM  SERMONS 

"Think  praise,  although  you  speak  it  not; 
'Twill  make  the  world  more  bright." 

It  has  been  claimed  that  the  now  famous  X-rays 
will  not  only  make  the  body  transparent,  but  that 
they  will  destroy  the  baccilli  of  diphtheria,  consump- 
tion and  other  deadly  diseases.  When  that  light  il- 
lumines the  body  the  fatal  germs  are  destroyed. 
There  is  another  Light  that  will  destroy  the  germs 
of  disease  that  lay  hold  upon  the  mind :  the  baccilli 
of  impurity,  injustice,  unkindncss ;  it  is  the  light  of 
iove  which  shines  from  he  uplifted  Christ.  Let 
that  glorious  Tght  illumine  your  mind.  "If  there 
be  any  virtue,  if  there  be  any  praise,  *  *  * 
think  on  these  things." 

And  now,  in  closing,  let  me  speak  again  of  the 
sanctuary  of  the  mind.  Beloved,  every  Christian's 
mind  should  be  a  sanctuary.  The  heart  is  the  pipe- 
organ  of  this  sanctuary  and  the  thoughts  are  the 
strains  of  music  that  issue  therefrom.  If  the  evil 
one  sits  there  and  plays,  he  fills  the  mind  with 
vile,  discordant  sounds;  but  when  the  Master  en- 
ters in  and  runs  his  pierced  hands  across  the  keys 
the  mind  is  filled  with  the  melodies  of  sweetest 
thoughts.  The  story  is  told  of  a  boy  only  six 
years  old  who  was  once  sailing  with  his  father 
dowTi  the  Danube.  All  day  long  they  had  been 
sailing  past  crumbling  ruins,  frowning  castles,  clois- 
ters hidden  away  among  the  craigs,  towering  rl- flfs, 
quiet  villages  nestling  in  tho  sunny  valkvs.  and 
here  and  there  a  deep  gorge  that  opened  back  from 
the  gliding  river,  its  loneliness  and  stillness  stirring 


J  : 


ill- 


SANCTUARY  OF  THE  MIND         235 

the  boy's  heart  like  some  dim  and  vast  cathedral. 
They  stopped  at  night  at  a  cloister;  and  the  father 
took  little  Wolfganj;  into  the  chapel  to  see  the  or- 
gan.    It  was  the  largest  organ  he  had  ever  seen, 
and  his  face  lit  up  with  delight,  and  every  motion 
and  attitude  of  his  figure  expressed  a  w^onderful  rev- 
erence.   "Father,"  said  the  hoy,  "let  me  play."  Well 
pleased,  the  father  complied.     Then  the  little  Wolf- 
gang pushed  aside  the  stool,  and  when  his   father 
had  filled  the  great  bellows,  the  elfin  organist  stood 
upon  the  pedals.     How  the  deep  tones  awoke  the 
sombre  stillness  of  the  sanctuary.  The  organ  seemed 
like  some  great,  uncouth  creature,  roaring  for  joy 
at  the  caress  of  the  marvelous  child.     The  monks, 
eating  their  supper  in  the  refectory,  heard  it  and 
dropped  knife  and  fork  in  astonisliment.     The  or- 
ganist  of   the   brotherhood   was    among   them,   but 
never  had  he  played  with  such  power.     They  list- 
ened, some  crossed  themselves,  till  the  prior  rose  up 
and  hastened  into  the  chapel.     The  others  followed, 
but  when  they  looked  up  into  the  organ  loft,  In, 
there  was  no  organist  to  be  seen,  though  the  deep 
tones  still  massed  themselves  in  new  harmonies  and 
made  the  stone  arches  thrill  with  their  power.     "It 
is  the  evil  one."  whispered  one  of  the  monks,  draw- 
ing closer  to  his  companions.    "It  is  the  Christ, 
said  another.    Bui  when  they  mounted  the  stairs  of 
the  organ  loft  they  stood  petrified  with  amazement. 
There  was  the  tiny  figure,  tteading  from  pedal  to 
pedal   and   clutching   at   the   keys   above   with   his 
little  hands.    He  heard  nothing,  saw  nothing  beside  ; 


V  -,"v  r- 


iiifa 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 

his  eyes  beamed  and  his  whole  face  Hghted  up  with 
impassioned  joy.  Louder  and  fuller  rose  the  har- 
monie.  streaming  forth  in  swelling  billows,  till  at 
last  they  seemed  to  reach  a  sunny  shore  on  which 
they  broke;  then  a  whispering  ripple  of  faintest 
melody  lingered  a  moment  in  the  air,  like  the  last 
murmur  of  a  wind  harp,  and  all  was  still.  The  boy 
was  John  Wolfgang  Mozart,  one  of  the  greatest 
musicians  that  ever  lived. 

But  I  tell  you  of  a  greater  musician  than  he.  It 
is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Let  him  enter  the  sanc- 
tuary of  your  soul  and  play  upon  the  organ  of  the 
heart  and  the  mind  will  be  filled  with  such  melodi- 
ous thoughts  as  shall  cause  the  very  angels  to  bow 
in  adoration.  Harken  to  Christ's  musical  scale: 
Love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  good- 
ness, meekness,  temperance,  faith.  From  these  notes 
he  produces  all  the  melodies  and  harmonies  of 
Christian  thought.  Let  this  Divine  Musician  play 
his  holy  anthems  in  your  heart,  and  then  through 
the  corridors  of  your  mind  will  echo  thoughts  of 
"Whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are 
honorable,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever 
things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  what- 
soever things  are  of  good  report,  whatsoever  things 
are  full  of  virtue  and  full  of  praise." 

May  God  thus  sanctify  our  minds  in  Christ  Jesus ! 


^^^^  ^^  mw  'm<e^-^ 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  SOUL'S  VISION  OF  GOD 

"Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 

It  is  the  soul  that  sees.  These  eyes  are  but  the 
windows  behind  which  the  soul  stands  looking  out 
upon  the  world  as  a  child  looks  through  the  window 
of  its  home  upon  the  people  of  the  street.  No  two 
people  see  the  same  things  because  no  two  souls  are 
alike.  A  glorious  sunset  speaks  to  the  poet  of  heroes" 
deaths,  to  another  it  suggests  supper  time!  Ycu 
will  say  in  reply  that  the  same  things  you  sec- 
are  seen  by  all, — that  the  river,  the  trees,  the 
mountains,  the  seas,  are  the  same  to  all.  I  reply 
that  these  things  are  differenl  to  all.  Longfellow, 
standing  on  the  bridge  at  midnight,  sees  in  the 
dark  river  the  symbol  of  his  life;  Isaac  Walton 
beholds  in  a  similar  river  a  place  to  catch  fish. 
Lowell  walking  through  the  forests  sees  "God's  first 
temple"  and  hears  the  trees  chant  God's  praises, 
and  there  he  writes  his  "Forest  Hymn" ;  a  lumber- 
man would  gaze  upon  those  same  trees  and  sec- 
nothing  but  boards  and  shingles.  The  Psalmist 
looks  upon  the  mountains  and  they  remind  him  of 
God's  greatness ;  another  may  see  in  them  noth- 
ing but  stone  quarries.     The  mighty  ocean  to  one 

as7 


tt 


238 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


who  looks  upon  it  is  a  picture  of  eternity;  to  an- 
other it  is  but  a  highway  for  merchandise. 
Whence  comes  this  difference?  From  the  soul 
within  us.  The  soul  can  make  of  the  world  a 
vast  machine  turned  by  a  bUnd  Fate  as  blind 
Samson  turned  the  Philistine  mill,  or  it  can  be- 
hold in  it  but  the  vesture  behind  which  hides  the 
figure  of  the  living  God. 

Stranger  still,  what  we  see  depends  upon  the 
mood  we  happen  to  be  in.  In  trifling  moods  all 
things  seem  trivial.  In  serious  moods  all  things 
seem  solemn.  Is  the  voice  of  the  spring-bird 
merry  or  plaintive?  Is  it  tbe  voice  of  joy  or  the 
harbinger  of  gloomi?  Sometimes  one  and  some- 
times the  other  according  to  our  different  moods. 
The  trees  of  the  forest  clap  their  hands  with  joy 
or  wring  them  with  grief  according  to  our  state 
of  mind  when  we  behold  them.  The  very  church 
bells  chime  sadly  or  merrily  as  our  mood  deter- 
mines— ^now  they  ring  out  joyfully  like  marriage 
bells;  again,  they  seem  to  toll  out  misery  and 
death.  The  soul  spreads  its  own  hue  over  every- 
thing. What  we  see  depends  upon  what  we  are. 
The  same  garment  is  now  a  shroud,  now  a  wed- 
ding garment  according  to  our  state  of  soul.  Be 
noble-minded  and  all  nature  cries,  "I  am  the 
child  of  God:  t-^  thou  too  His  child!"  Be  mean 
and  all  nature  dwindles  into  contemptible  small- 
ness. 

Here,  then,  we  have   discovered  the    law   which 
determines    just    what    a   man    shall    be,    whether 


■^r-.**v.j» 


'y.mtmm^ 


•^Md.J^:M^^^<^m 


THE  SOUL'S  VISION  OF  GOD       239 

good  or  evil,  whether  God  or  demon.  Unhappy 
are  the  wicked,  for  in  the  most  beautiful  things 
they  shall  behold  but  the  blackened  imaginations 
of  their  own  hearts;  but  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,  for  they  shall  see  God."  My  theme  this 
morning  is  "The  Soul's  Vision  of  God." 

Fix  your  thoughts,  first  of  all,  upon  the 
pure-hearted  ones  -n'lto  behold  the  vision  of  God. 
"Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart  for  they  shall  see 
God."  It  is  as  impossible  for  hearts  that  are  filled 
with  iniquity  to  see  God  as  it  is  for  a  man  born 
blind  to  behold  the  beauty  of  a  landscape  bathed  in 
sunshine.  The  only  way  to  see  God  is  to  be  pure- 
hearted. 

I  lived  nearly  four  years  upon  the  banks  of 
the  Chippewa  river,  and  there  I  learned  of  a  cur- 
ious cu'itom  once  in  vogue  among  the  Chippewa 
Indian?.  As  he  approached  manhood,  the  young 
Indian,  anxious  to  behold  God,  blackened  his 
face  with  charcoal,  and  building  a  lodge  of  cedar 
boughs  upon  the  summit  of  some  lonely  hill,  there 
began  his  fast  in  solitude.  For  ten  days,  perhaps, 
he  keeps  his  vigil,  neither  tasting  food  nor  drink- 
ing water,  until  at  last  delirious  with  hunger  and 
thirst  his  feverish  mind  xancies  that  it  beholds 
a  vision  of  God. 

Scarcely  less  barbarous  were  the  fasts  and 
penances  practiced  by  the  Roman  church  that  they 
might  behold  the  face  of  God.  How  different  from 
all  such  fleshly  preparation  is  the  preparation  that 
Jesus  would     teach  when     he  declares  purity  of 


240 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


heart  to  be  essential  to  him  who  would  behold  the 
vision  of  God ! 

What  does  he  mean  by  the  "pure  in  heart?" 
Not  what  the  majority  of  people  suppose.  The 
primary  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  is  "single- 
ness of  purpose."  A  diamond  must  be  of 
"the  first  water,"  entirely  unclouded,  if  it  is  to 
flash  with  greatest  brilliancy;  and  a  Christian's 
purpose  in  life  must  be  diamondlike  in  its  purity 
if  he  is  to  behold  the  face  that  is  "like  unto  the 
sun  shining  in  its  strength."  In  his  heart  there 
must  bum  and  glow  one  supreme  desire,  like  the 
sunbeam  in  the  heart  of  the  diamond,  and  that 
desire  must  be  to  serve  God. 

The    double-minded    Christian     shall    never  be- 
hold the  divine  vision  in  its  beauty.     He  scarce 
knows  whether  to    serve    God    or  Mammon.     He 
knows  not  whether  to  lay  up  for  himself  treasures 
on   earth    or   treasures    in   heaven.       Today    he 
barkens  to  the  voice  of  Duty,  tomorrow  he  obeys 
the  call  of  Desire.    He  sings  "I  love  they  house  O 
Lord,"  but  he  shows  that  he  loves  the  world  too. 
Such  a  Christian  never  sees  anything  clearly.    He 
is   like  an   astronomer  looking  at   the   stars   but 
walking  in  the  ditch.     He  lives  ever  in  the  twi- 
light and  knows  nothing  of  the  perfect  day.    His 
vision  of  God  is  distorted,  untrue  and  he  trembles 
as  he  beholds  it.    The  double-minded  Christian  is, 
as  James  has  said,  like  a  wave  of  the  sea  driven  by 
the  wind  and  tossed.    What  a  figure!     Have  you 
ever  stood  upon  the  sea  shore  on  a  windy  day  and 


^■Kt.  4Q«i9Kl'i.'<T«Hr 


THE  SOUL'S  VISION  OF  GOD       241 

watched  such  a  wave?  See  it  out  yonder,  now 
sinking,  nnw  rising,  beaten  by  other  billows,  buf- 
feted by  the  winds,  staggering  onward,  unsteady 
and  unstable,  white-capped  and  black-hearted, 
reeling  to  and  fro,  till  at  last  in  foam  and  spray, 
sobbing  as  though  broken-hearted,  it  bursts  in  a 
myriad  of  great  salt  tears  upon  the  shore,  pouring 
out  of  its  wretched  bosom  the  sea-weed  and 
drift-wood  and  filth  it  has  gathered  on  its  jour- 
ney. Such  a  restless  tossing  wave  of  the  sea 
never  beholds  the  vision  of  the  sun ;  no  more  does 
such  a  double-minded  Christian  behold  the  vision 
of  God. 

But  come  with  me  again  to  the  shore.  The 
waves  are  gone.  The  sea  is  like  a  mirror.  It  is  as 
pure  as  crystal.  You  peer  into  its  clear  depths 
and  see  the  pearly  pebbles  lying  far  below.  You 
look  into  its  heart  and  there  you  see  the  image  of 
the  sun.  Such  pure-hearted  waters  look  ever  up- 
ward and  behold  the  sun  and  love  his  glory.  There 
are  Christians  like  this.  Look  into  their  hearts 
and  you  see  one  pure,  supreme  desire  to  serve 
God;  such  Christians  looking  upward  behold  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 

Such  have  ever  been  they  who  have  seen  God. 
Elijah,  whose  one  desire  is  for  God's  glory,  be- 
holds the  multitudes  of  the  heavenly  host,  while 
his  worldly-minded  servant  sees  nothing  but  the 
trees  and  mountains  till  his  eyes  are  opened.  Who 
is  this  whom  I  see  standing  beside  the  Holy  One 


is 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 

talking  as  friend  with  friend?  It  is  Enoch,  whose 
supreme  desire  was  to  "walk  with  God,"  Who  is 
that  yonder  upon  Mount  Sinai  beholding  "the 
glory  of  the  Lord?"  It  is  Moses  whose  affec- 
tions were  so  supremely  set  upon ,  God  that  he 
"esteemed  the  reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches 
than  the  treasures  of  Egypt."  Who  is  this  ascending 
to  heaven  in  the  chariot  of  Jehovah?  It  is  Elijah 
who  said  when  all  others  strayed  away  from  God, 
"As  for  me  I  will  serve  the  Lord."  Who  is  this 
talking  with  God's  angel  in  her  own  home?  It  is 
Mary,  the  pure-hearted,  who  said,  "Be  it  unto  me 
according  to  thy  word."  Who  is  this  prostrated 
at  the  Lord's  feet  upon  the  shores  of  Galilee?  It 
is  Peter  who  declared  "Though  all  men  forsake 
thee,  yet  will  I  not  forsake  thee."  Who  is  this 
into  whose  prison  cell  the  Lord  comes  with  his 
glory?  It  is  Paul  who  said,  "This  one  thing  I 
do."  Who  is  this  who  beholds  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  among  the  seven  golden  candle-sticks?  It 
is  John  whose  supreme  desire  was  to  serve  the 
Master  whom  he  loved.  Beloved,  if  we  would  be- 
hold the  vision  of  God,  it  must  be  the  supreme  de- 
sire of  our  hearts  to  glorify  God  with  our  lives 
which  are  his.  This  purity  of  purpose  was 
Christ's  chief  thought  when  he  said :  "Blessed  are 
the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 

The  other  characteristic  of  the  pure-hearted 
is  freedom  from  defilement.  When  we  came  to 
Bethel,  the  place  where  Jacob  had  slept  with  a 
stone  for  a  pillow  and  beheld  his  vision  of  the 


I 


m^^±^>^ 


THE  SOUL'S  VISION  OF  GOD        243 

angels  ascending  and  descending  before  the 
throne  of  God,  we  found  there  an  ancient  fountain 
walled  about  with  stone,  and  filled  with  waters  of 
wonderful  purity.  I  threw  in  a  small  coin  and 
could  clearly  see  the  image  and  superscription  as 
it  lay  on  the  bottom  eight  feet  under  water.  But 
when  some  Syrian  boys  sprang  in  and  struggled 
there  for  the  coin,  till  the  waters  were  roiled  and 
impure  you  could  see  nothing  in  those  depths 
and  we  turned  away.  When  the  Christian's  heart 
is  so  free  from  sin  that  God  peering  down  into  it 
sees  there  the  image  and  superscription  of 
Christ,  that  soul  will  also  look  up  and  behold  the 
smile  of  approval  upon  God's  face.  But  God  turns 
away  in  sorrow  from  the  soul  that  is  vile  with  sin, 
and  such  a  soul  cannot  behold  the  King  in  his 
glory.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they 
shall  see  God." 

The  soul  that  is  blinded  with  sin  cannot  see 
God  in  nature,  nor  in  scripture;  in  prayer  nor  in 
worship.  Such  an  one  will  see  so  little  of  God 
that  at  last  it  will  come  to  doubt  if  there  be  a  God. 
Persistent  sin  breeds  blantant  infidels.  "The  fool 
hath  said  in  his  heart,  there  is  no  God,"  but  it  is 
out  of  the  abundance  of  his  sinful  heart,  that  the 
fool's  lips  speak.  When  we  sin  against  him  God 
hides  his  face  from  us.  Were  4here  no  sin  there 
would  be  no  skepticism  •  were  there  no  iniquity  there 
would  be  no  infidelity. 

A  lady  had  a  beautiful  picture  of  the  Christ 
which  was  greatly  admired  by  a  friend  of  hers. 


244 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


Her  friend  came  one  day  to  bid  her  goodbye,  telling 
her  that  he  was  about  to  make  his  home  in  a  dis- 
tant city.  Longing  to  lead  him  to  the  Savior  she 
made  him  a  present  of  the  picture,  begging  him  to 
hang  it  in  his  room.  He  did  so.  The  temptations 
of  the  city,  however,  proved  too  much  for  him. 
He  became  dissipated  and  sinful.  But  every  night 
on  returning  from  his  carousals  there  was  the 
face  of  Christ  looking  reproachfully  upon  him. 
Unable  to  stand  it  longer  he  placed  a  thick  veil 
over  the  picture  so  that  he  might  no  longer  see  it. 
So  the  face  of  Christ  was  veiled  for  years.  But 
at  last  in  God's  providence  he  was  led  to  repent. 
Finding  pardon  for  his  sins,  he  thought  first  of  all 
of  his  picture.  So  long  had  it  been  since  he  saw 
it  that  he  had  almost  forgotten  its  appearance. 
Reverently  he  removed  the  veil,  and  he  wept  with 
joy  as  he  beheld  the  face  once  more,  the  eyes 
filled  no  longer  with   reproach,   but   with   tender 

love. 

So,  beloved,  whenever  we  stray  into  sin  we  veil 
the  face  of  God.  May  God  help  us  to  remove  in- 
iquity from  our  hearts,  and  to  cleanse  ourselves 
from  all  unrighteousness,  that  thus  by  blessed  ex- 
perience we  may  prove  the  truthfulness  of 
Christ's  beatitude:  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 

Having  thus  discovered  who  are  the  pure- 
hearted  who  shall  see  God,  let  us  now,  secondly, 
consider  the  vision  of  God  which  the  pure  in  heart 
shall  see.    What  does  Jesus  mean  when  he  speaks 


THE  SOUL'S  VISION  OF  GOD       245 


: 


about  "seeing  God?"  The  vision  to  which  he  re- 
fers is  two-fold,  begun  on  earth,  completed  in 
heaven. 

The  first  part  of  it  is  the  vision  "through 
the  glass."  "Now  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly," 
said  the  apostle;  "now  we  see  in  part."  As  we 
approached  the  snowy  peaks  of  Mount  Hermon  I 
put  my  field  glasses  to  my  eyes  that  I  might  behold 
more  clearly  that  glorious  vision  of  "snows  a  thou- 
sand summers  old;"  but  the  lenses  were  specked 
with  dust,  and  I  saw  through  a  glass  darkly  I  So  in 
this  life  the  lenses  of  the  purest  souls  are  bo 
specked  with  sin  that  they  can  not  have  the  per- 
fect vision  of  God's  glory.  We  see  him  but  dark- 
ly. We  know  that  we  are  in  our  father's  house, 
we  behold  the  works  of  his  hands,  we  hear  his 
voice,  we  feel  his  presence,  but  alas,  we  do  not 
see  him  as  we  see  others.  Like  the  disciples  we 
feel  sometimes  like  cr>'ing:  "Show  us  the  Father 
and  it  sufficeth  us." 

But  let  me  speak  more  fully  of  this  earthly  vis- 
ion of  God,  for  imperfect  though  it  is  it  is  the 
grandest  sight  this  side  of  heaven. 

God's  pure-hearted  children  see  God  though 
darkly  in  the  works  of  his  hands.  They  hear  his 
step  in  the  thunder-storm.  They  see  his  glory  in 
the  rising  sun.  In  the  blue  sky  they  behold  a  vis- 
ion of  "the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  under- 
standing." The  spotless  snow  is  to  them  his  garment 
of  holiness.  As  they  gather  the  golden  harvests 
they  receive  them  as  from  God's  hand.    To  them, 


246 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


u 


li 


.;;i 


all  nature  palpitates  with  God  as  the  coverlet 
'neath  which  a  child  lies  sleeping  rises  and  falls 
with  every  breath.  One  of  God's  pure-hearted 
ones,  standing  on  the  prow  of  a  ship  at  sea  looking 
out  over  the  waves,  was  asked  what  he  saw. 
"Nothing  but  God"  was  his  startling  reply.  [ 
once  heard  Dr.  Strong  say  that  he  saw  God's 
presence  in  the  very  trembling  of  the  leaves  upon 
the  trees  in  summer.  Only  the  pure  in  heart  ob- 
tain such  visions. 

And  how  often  they  behold  God  in  his  sanc- 
tuary. A.  J.  Gordon  had  a  strange  vision  of 
Christ  in  church  which  many  of  you  have  doubt- 
less read.  And  have  there  not  been  times  when 
you,  my  friend,  have  forgotten  preacher  and  peo- 
ple and  like  the  disciples  on  the  mount  have  "seen 
no  man  save  Jesus  only?"  Here  God  speaks  to 
us.  Here  God  comes  so  near  that  we  feel  his 
presence.  Here  at  times  his  love  overpowers  us. 
Tears  spring  unbidden  to  our  eyes  as  we  come  to 
his  table.  There  is  the  bread  he  broke,  the  wine 
he  poured.  Here  he  meets  with  us  as  we  gather 
"in  remembrance  of  him." 

"Heaven  comes  down  our  souls  to  greet, 
And  glory  crowns  the  mercy-seat." 

But  the  place  in  which  the  pure  in  heart  catch 
the  most  perfect  vision  of  God  is  in  his  own 
Word.  The  picture  called  "The  Soul's  Awaken- 
ing" illustrates  my  thought.  There  we  see  a 
maiden    with    face   of    wondrous    purity    uplifted 


THE  SOUL'S  VISION  OF  GOD       247 

from  the  Book  which  is  clasped  to  her  bosom, 
her  eyes  aglow  with  gladness  as  though  some  vis- 
ion of  angels  were  before  her.  Her  soul  had  found 
the  face  of  God!  Such  visions  will  be  granted 
to  all  who  peer  deeply  and  reverently  into  this 
Book.  Here  God  reveals  himself.  In  the  Louvre 
at  Paris  I  saw  a  famous  portrait  of  Rembrandt 
by  himself;  but  here  there  is  a  picture  of  God  by 
Himself.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they 
shall  see  God." 

Far  better  than  the  vision  through  the  glass 
is  the  vision  "face  to  face."  "For  now  we  see 
through  a  glass  darkly ;  but  then  face  to  face ;  now  I 
know  in  part;  but  then  shall  I  know  even  as  also 
I  am  known."  Earth's  visions  are  always  imper- 
fect; in  heaven  that  which  is  imperfect  shall  be 
done  away.  Here  but  few  may  see  God;  there 
all  shall  behold  his  glory. 

Let  me  tell  you  a  parable  teaching  how  more 
glorious  will  be  the  vision  there  than  here.  In  the 
days  of  chivalry  a  knigh*^  of  the  cross  was  wound- 
ed in  combat  and  carried  unconscious  to  a 
castle.  There  he  was  cared  for  by  one  who  was 
always  veiled  when  she  entered  his  presence. 
Weeks  passed  by  and  still  he  had  not  seen  her 
face,  or  if  seen  at  all  it  was  seen  so  darkly  through 
the  thick  meshes  of  the  veil  that  he  scarce  knew 
whether  it  was  attractive  or  repulsive.  But  her 
tenderness,  her  kindness,  her  devotion,  her  del- 
icacy, her  faithfulness  completely  won  his  love. 
At  last  the  time  came  for  him  to  leave.     He  told 


:*'^*i  •  >^ 


iW 


.\1S^1 


248 


PILGRIM  SERMONS 


I  » 


,'S 


her  of  his  love.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  she 
lifted  the  veil  and  to  his  joy  he  found  her  more 
beautiful  than  his  fondest  dreams.  Now  he  be- 
held her  face  to  face,  and  from  her  he  was  to  be 
separated  no  more. 

Need  I  interpret  the  parable?  Here  we  are 
wounded  by  sin.  One  whose  face  is  veiled  cares 
for  us.  His  love,  his  kindness,  his  patience,  his 
tenderness  win  our  love;  but  never  do  we  clearly 
behold  his  face.  It  is  as  the  aix)stle  says,  "Whom 
having  not  seen  we  love."  At  last  the  time  comes 
for  us  to  go  hence.  Then  will  God  lift  his  veil. 
Then  we  shall  see  Him  "face  to  face."  Then  shall 
we  behold  Him  "as  he  is."  Then  shall  we  under- 
stand why  the  prophets  have  called  Him  "the  Rose 
of  Sharon"  and  "the  Bright  and  Morning  Star;" 
why  poets  have  sung  of  Him  as  "the  One  alto- 
gether lovely,  and  the  chiefest  among  ten  thou- 
sand." 

When  God  was  lifting  his  veil  '-  efore  i;he  eyes 
of  that  pure-hearted  woman,  Frances  Willard,  she 
exclaimed,  "How  beautiful  it  is  to  be  with  God!" 
Similar  were  the  words  of  the  dying  Kingsley, 
"How  beautiful  is  God!"  Oh  Beloved,  I  pray  God 
that  we  may  serve  him  with  such  singleness  of 
purpose,  such  freedom  from  sin  that  to  us  shall 
be  granted  the  double  vision,  the  vision  through 
the  glass,  and  the  vision  face  to  face.  But  let  us 
remember  that  the  soul's  vision  of  God  is  condi- 
tioned upon  purity  of  heart.  "Blessed  are  the 
pure  in  heart  for  they  shall  see  God." 


PRINTED  BY  R.  R.  DONNELLEY 
AND  SONS  COMPANY,  AT  THE 
LAKESIDE  PRESS,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


